Local officials need to continue to mobilize against cuts to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program as Congress prepares to move forward in the budget process.
Both houses of Congress passed budget resolutions that restore some or all funding to CDBG and keep it in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The resolutions reject the Bush Administration?s proposal to cut funding for the program and combine it with 17 other programs in the Department of Commerce.
But there is more work to be done. The budget resolutions, which still have to be reconciled by both the House and Senate, set overall spending caps and provide direction to the appropriators. The Appropriations Committees will ultimately decide how and where the money is actually spent.
Congress is currently on spring recess, and now is the time to contact Congressional delegations and continue the ?No cuts and no move? message about CDBG to members of Congress.
City and town officials should continue to offer personal, local stories to members of Congress as the budget process continues. One way is to contact members while they are at home during this and other recesses.
Another way is through NLC?s Grassroots Action Center at www.nlc.org. With just three clicks, a person can send a personalized message to his or her member of Congress on CDBG and other issues.
NLC will continue to work with organizations such as the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties to keep CDBG in HUD with full funding.
Senate Votes on CDBG Amendments
On March 17, the Senate voted on two separate amendments to its budget resolution that would fully fund CDBG and related programs and keep CDBG in HUD.
An amendment from Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) to restore $1.9 billion in CDBG funds passed 68-31. The amendment keeps discretionary spending at $843 billion. The money for CDBG would have to be offset by cuts to other programs.
Passage of the Coleman amendment came after a similar amendment from Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.) failed with a 49-51 vote. His amendment would have increased overall discretionary spending to $844.9 billion, with the money coming from closing tax loopholes. Sarbanes threw his support behind the Coleman amendment after his own amendment failed.
NLC, in an action alert prior to the vote, urged support first for the Sarbanes amendment ? because it would not have required cuts to other programs ? and, if the Sarbanes amendment failed, for the Coleman amendment.
The accompanying chart depicts how each senator voted on the two amendments. Local officials are urged to see how their senator voted ? and thank them if they voted to save CDBG, or work to win their support in the upcoming appropriations process if they did not.