House Resolution 44 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 44 BY HEATON , HORBACH , HEDDENS , and M. SMITH A Resolution to recognize the positive impact of the 1 community services block grant program. 2 WHEREAS, in state fiscal year 2010, 365,752 Iowans 3 in 140,333 households were helped in their fight 4 against poverty through services funded by the federal 5 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program; and 6 WHEREAS, more than 96 percent of the families 7 receiving services were at or below 175 percent of 8 the federal poverty level or $35,427 annual family 9 income; and 10 WHEREAS, more than 76 percent of the individuals 11 served by the 18 community action agencies were 12 working or received social security as their source of 13 income; and 14 WHEREAS, those 18 community action agencies have 127 15 service centers throughout all 99 Iowa counties; and 16 WHEREAS, each community action agency is governed 17 by a community-based volunteer board of directors 18 consisting of elected officials, private sector 19 representatives, and low-income Iowans; and 20 WHEREAS, Iowa’s 18 community action agencies employ 21 3,350 Iowans; and 22 WHEREAS, CSBG funding for the 18 community action 23 agencies brought in $2.3 million in local funding, 24 $13.6 million in private funding, $13.9 million in 25 state funding, and $222.9 million in federal funding to 26 Iowa’s local communities; and 27 WHEREAS, CSBG funding for Iowa’s 18 community action 28 -1- LSB 2683HH (2) 84 pf/nh 1/ 2
H.R. 44 agencies helped generate $17.7 million in in-kind goods 1 and services and donated items; and 2 WHEREAS, the 18 community action agencies received 3 $7,154,281 in CSBG funding enabling the community 4 action agencies to operate their service centers and to 5 administer state and federally funded programs; and 6 WHEREAS, President Obama has proposed a 50 percent 7 reduction in CSBG funding and making the allocation 8 of the remaining funds competitive instead of 9 continuing the current allocation formula that brings 10 stability to Iowa’s community and economic development 11 initiatives; and 12 WHEREAS, the Iowa House of Representatives supports 13 efforts of the United States Congress to effectively 14 reduce the federal deficit while promoting the current 15 and future economic security of all Iowans; NOW 16 THEREFORE, 17 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That 18 the House of Representatives supports the positive 19 impact of the CSBG program in Iowa and opposes federal 20 action to reduce CSBG funding disproportionately 21 compared to the rest of the federal domestic 22 discretionary budget; and 23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this 24 resolution be sent to the President of the United 25 States, the President and Secretary of the United 26 States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United 27 States House of Representatives, and each member of the 28 Iowa congressional delegation. 29 -2- LSB 2683HH (2) 84 pf/nh 2/ 2