PRINTER'S NO. 898
No. 134 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY STURLA, MARKOSEK, VEON, BELARDI, BELFANTI,
BIANCUCCI, BISHOP, BLACKWELL, BROWNE, CALTAGIRONE, CORRIGAN,
DALEY, DeLUCA, DeWEESE, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEORGE,
GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HALUSKA, HARHAI, JAMES, JOSEPHS, LaGROTTA,
LEDERER, LEVDANSKY, MAJOR, MANDERINO, McGEEHAN, MELIO, MYERS,
OLIVER, PALLONE, PETRARCA, PETRONE, PISTELLA, READSHAW,
ROEBUCK, ROONEY, SAINATO, SHAPIRO, SOLOBAY, STABACK, STETLER,
SURRA, THOMAS, TIGUE, WALKO, WANSACZ, WASHINGTON, WATERS,
WHEATLEY, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND YUDICHAK, MARCH 14, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
MARCH 14, 2005
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the President and Congress of the United States not to
2 reduce funding for Community Development Block Grants in the
3 Federal budget for fiscal year 2006.
4 WHEREAS, 127 boroughs and townships, 27 third class cities
5 and 54 counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania rely on
6 Community Development Block Grants; and
7 WHEREAS, Community Development Block Grants provide funding
8 for necessary municipal projects, including water and sewer line
9 infrastructure, street improvements and property rehabilitation;
10 and
11 WHEREAS, Community Development Block Grants are targeted to
12 provide decent housing and suitable living environments for low-
13 income and moderate-income persons; and
14 WHEREAS, Projects which receive Community Development Block
1 Grant funding are required to facilitate the feedback and
2 participation of community members, thereby encouraging active
3 citizenship; and
4 WHEREAS, Municipalities which receive the grants are afforded
5 the opportunity to apply funding to projects which they identify
6 as most crucial to their communities, thereby empowering local
7 governments; and
8 WHEREAS, In the 2005 Federal budget, communities in the
9 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania received more than $248 million in
10 Community Development Block Grants; and
11 WHEREAS, Local municipalities will not have other funding
12 options to make up for any reduction in Community Development
13 Block Grants; and
14 WHEREAS, The Bush Administration has proposed significant
15 changes resulting in drastic reductions to the Community
16 Development Block Grant program for the 2006 Federal budget; and
17 WHEREAS, The loss of Community Development Block Grants will
18 severely hinder the capacity of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
19 to invest in our local municipalities; therefore be it
20 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
21 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the President and Congress of
22 the United States not to reduce funding for the Community
23 Development Block Grant program; and be it further
24 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
25 the President of the United States, to the presiding officers of
26 each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from
27 Pennsylvania.
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