Congressional Briefs: Lee and Cummings

Barbara Lee Remembers King's Legacy Saying, 'The War is a Drag on the Economy'

Jan. 21, 2008, 12:20 a.m. - Remembering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy and the connection he made between the war in Vietnam and poverty, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, California Democrat, released the following statement:

"As our nation commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us remember the legacy of the man who spread a message of peace and justice and challenged America to fulfill the true promise of Democracy. Among Dr. King's lesser known speeches is his powerful remarks lamenting over the impact of the war in Vietnam on poverty.

"He reflected, 'then came the buildup in Vietnam and I watched the program broken and eviscerated as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war, and I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such.'

"Dr. King's Vietnam speech comes to mind as I work with Congress to fully fund the redeployment of our troops and contractors from Iraq so we can end the U.S. occupation; when I hear the Bush administration's saber rattling about Iran, and when the Bush administration pushes to sell over $20 billion worth of precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia and other countries, creating a powder keg that can only spark a regional arms race in the volatile region. Yet all the while, families are being displaced by the foreclosure crisis and the country is heading towards a major economic downturn.

"Poverty impacts every state, county, city and district in America. Nationally, 21 percent of Americans living in poverty were under 5 years old in 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than 37 million people are living in poverty in the United States, a number equal to the entire population of the state of California.

"Congress has been forced to drastically decrease funding for domestic priorities so we can fund Bush's failed foreign policy, while this Republican administration spends somewhere between $11.7 billion and $15 billion a month on the so-called war on terror. Each additional day our brave service men and women remain in harm's way in Iraq is another day that U.S. national security is further compromised and our domestic agenda goes underfunded. As Dr. King observed with the Vietnam war in the ’60s, there is no question that we have to shift funding from the war to support America's families.

"Next week, as we remember Dr. King, Congress will also take action on my legislation, H. Con. Res. 198, which seeks to cut poverty in half over the next 10 years. Earlier in this Congressional session, I introduced a Congressional resolution (H.Con.Res.161) commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Dr. King's launching of the Poor People's Campaign and Organization of the Poor People's Army. These bills are part of a larger package of poverty legislation I will introduce to make eradicating poverty in America a national priority.

"Bush's war is a drag on the economy. In upholding Dr. King's legacy, we must challenge this administration's foreign and domestic policies and demand peace and justice."

U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Maryland Democrat and member of the Joint Economic Committee, joined his colleagues in a vote of 271-130 to reauthorize and improve the valuable HOPE VI program that revitalizes severely distressed and obsolete public housing projects.

The HOPE VI program allows Public Housing Associations (PHA) to apply for funds to demolish or renovate housing complexes. In addition to reauthorizing the program for an additional eight years, the HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act, H.R. 3524, increases funding and offers improvements to ensure the most effective use of funds.

"In my hometown of Baltimore, we have six HOPE VI projects, including two within four blocks of my house," Cummings said. "I can tell you first-hand that these housing projects truly do offer the hope of a wonderful life to hardworking families."

The reauthorization includes the following provisions recommended by Cummings to address potential weaknesses in the program:

"HOPE VI projects offer members of our community the opportunity to work toward achieving the American Dream in a safe environment and promote a sense of community that is critical to growth and empowerment," Cummings said.

"The improvements made under this legislation will enrich the lives of even more Maryland families."

U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Maryland Democrat and member of the Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement this week applauding the Bush Administration's release of $450 million in energy assistance to help seniors and working families pay home heating bills:

"As a recession looms closer than ever, it is critical that we make every effort to minimize its impact on hardworking Maryland families. Unfortunately, for the many people in our State who find themselves struggling in the midst of a permanent recession, this impact is already being felt.

"Americans using heating oil will pay more than $2,000 per family this winter—over three times the cost of oil in 2001. In the face of these record-high prices to heat their homes this winter, many Marylanders are sadly being forced to choose which other necessities must be sacrificed.

"I am very pleased that the Bush Administration responded to the calls of Congress to release emergency funding under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The $2.4 million in funds dedicated to Maryland will provide critical help to seniors and working families trying to keep warm this winter.

"Our economy is in a crisis, and we must continue working together to help families address the serious challenges presented as a result. I will continue working with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to take all necessary measures to help Marylanders keep their heads above water."