Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022
Floor Speech
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, today I stand in opposition to H.R. 5129, the Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022, CSBG.
While I recognize that the CSBG program has been serving those in need for decades, I do not believe that this reauthorization bill improves CSBG services or fixes the program's flaws.
As Members of Congress, we have an obligation to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent as efficiently and effectively as possible. In that regard, the CSBG program is missing the mark. Spending $1 billion on a program that has limited accountability is yet another reason why our country is experiencing the biggest inflation crisis we have seen in 41 years.
With our national debt exceeding $30 trillion, it is time to stop mortgaging the future of the next generation with spending on programs that may not even work. There is little proof that CSBG programs are accomplishing the one goal they were created for: moving Americans out of poverty.
In fact, there is more proof that CSBG has become nothing but another welfare program, which keeps Americans in poverty instead of lifting them into self-sufficiency.
Under current law, CSBG lets States set their own benchmarks for progress, allowing ineffective programs to continue receiving taxpayer dollars despite poor performance. This bill continues that ineffective policy rather than creating commonsense measures to judge the programs' outcomes. This does not help people in need, and it is an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars.
When creating programs like CSBG, our goal should be self- sufficiency, not government dependence. This is particularly true with some of the changes proposed in H.R. 5129.
For example, the bill raises the income threshold for individuals who can receive services under CSBG programs from 125 percent of the Federal poverty level to 200 percent.
In addition, it will allow individuals in the program to continue receiving services even after they have exceeded the income threshold. This program was created to help individuals most in need, but Democrats are trying to twist it into a permanent welfare pipeline.
H.R. 5129 has other troubling provisions.
Under this bill, organizations would be able to use grantee facilities for voter registration activities. While promoting political participation is important, it is simply not the purpose of this program.
This new provision risks distracting servicers from their primary purpose and opening the door to partisan politics. We must preserve the integrity of CSBG by keeping in place important safeguards that protect against intertwining Federal policy and partisan political activity.
This legislation also adds a new requirement that will allow CSBG funds to be used for vague, undefined ``healthcare needs.'' With Democrats' increasingly radical stance on abortion and attempts to strip the Hyde amendment from Federal legislation, this legislation could open the door for taxpayer-funded abortions and gender transitions. This is an unacceptable risk.
Lastly, one of the most concerning points of this bill is how it got protections for faith-based organizations. Religious workers have been on the front lines serving the poor long before this program began. Instead of honoring their long history of service, this bill would require religious organizations to check their faith at the door to participate in the CSBG program. Faith-based providers deserve an equal opportunity to serve those in need.
Our Founding Fathers wrote the First Amendment to protect the free exercise of religion from interference by the Federal Government. Yet, this bill suggests that faith-based organizations should not be able to hire employees who share the same faith if they are going to participate in a Federal program. This is unacceptable.
The Constitution protects the right of religious organizations to hire in accordance with their beliefs. Congress recognized this right in enacting title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the constitutionality of a religious employer's staffing exemption in 1987.
The current law protections, which were adopted in a bipartisan manner nearly 25 years ago, should be uncontroversial, but H.R. 5129 makes these provisions controversial because Democrats think religious belief is backward and discriminatory.
Democrats have claimed that these current law protections allow faith-based providers to discriminate against program beneficiaries. But that simply isn't true. Democrats can't point to a single instance of widespread discrimination in the CSBG program. These faith-based organizations exist to serve the neediest among us. The current law protections ensure they can continue to do that. If the purpose of H.R. 5129 was to improve CSBG, then I am afraid the bill has failed miserably. This modernization attempt is a false start.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Banks).
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, if CSBG programs were fulfilling their statutory purpose, we would be hearing lots of numbers of people lifted out of poverty. But those numbers have been notably absent in the committee debate and here today.
We have been given no proof, no proof at all, that these programs are working as they have been set up. We are asking hardworking taxpayers-- let me repeat that--hardworking taxpayers to give money to support these programs that have no accountability.
The goal is to take people out of poverty and have them become hardworking taxpayers to balance out the burden here in this country, but that is not happening, Madam Speaker.
This bill would appropriate $1 billion. I said in my opening comments that we are $30 trillion in debt. We are going to add to our debt with this program with no accountability. We should not spend a dime of taxpayer dollars without knowing that those dollars are being spent effectively.
Republicans support commonsense efforts to fight poverty and provide a safety net for Americans truly in need. We want to make our Nation's antipoverty programs the best they can be, a streamlined network that specifically focuses on aiding those in dire need and helps lift them out of poverty, but that is not what we have here.
H.R. 5129 fails to reform CSBG. In fact, the program widely expands the pool of eligible beneficiaries, leaving those most in need with fewer resources.
It goes along with other programs that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and the Biden administration keep proposing, and that is to put more people in dependency in this country, not make them independent.
It also attacks religious liberty. I believe my colleagues have basically admitted that in the last few minutes.
Over 19,000 vital faith-based organizations work tirelessly to help their communities through the CSBG program. Yet, H.R. 5129 sets a terrible and destructive precedent. Preventing faith-based organizations from competing for grants while remaining true to their religious character means fewer low-income Americans will receive the help they need.
This legislation is another Washington-knows-best approach that will keep Americans dependent on hardworking taxpayers' dollars. My colleagues should reject this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
Madam Speaker, while the amendments before us include some positive reforms to improve accountability and transparency in the community services block grant program, there are unfortunately several problematic amendments in the mix that outweigh the improvements and require me to oppose them when considered together.
These amendments are duplicative, add additional requirements to the program, and lessen accountability.
It is critical to streamline antipoverty programs to make them work for low-income Americans. But instead, these amendments layer on duplication and move us in the opposite direction.
I cannot agree to add more inefficiency to an already ineffective program, and therefore, cannot support the Democrat amendments before us today.
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Ms. FOXX.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
My friends at home tell me all the time that they believe common sense is in short supply in Washington. I completely agree with them. It is practically nonexistent on the other side.
Madam Speaker, we can exercise common sense by focusing on reforming the Federal safety net so that programs pull people out of poverty and into self-sufficiency and not encouraging them to stay in dependency on the Federal Government. Adding more duplication and bureaucracy to the CSBG program will not accomplish that goal.
I urge my colleagues to oppose these amendments and yield back the balance of my time.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, this en bloc includes several amendments that I believe would vastly improve the underlying legislation.
First, one of the included amendments will address a critical concern. I cannot support any legislation that opens the door for taxpayer funding of abortion, and this bill opens that door. The legislation includes vague language allowing program funds to address health needs and improve health and well-being. While this might sound nice at first blush, it hides a huge problem. I am concerned that instead of helping people receive high-quality healthcare, it will lead to taxpayer dollars funding abortions.
The majority of Americans oppose seeing their hard-earned dollars go to pay for abortions, and we must do all in our power to stop that from ever happening. This amendment will make sure that no taxpayer dollars are used to reimburse healthcare services. It will also ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used for experimental gender hormone medications or other harmful gender medical interventions.
Additionally, this amendment takes the commonsense steps to prohibit taxpayer dollars from funding lobbying activities and voter registration activities. H.R. 5129 would allow program funds to be used for voter registration efforts. While getting more eligible individuals registered to vote is a worthy goal, we should not jeopardize the integrity of this program or let the next election distract from serving low-income Americans.
Finally, this amendment ensures that limited Federal funds are spent on those Americans most in need by maintaining the poverty threshold that exists in current law. Increasing this threshold will just expand the pool of eligible participants and stretch resources thinner. We need to tailor the program to ensure that Federal dollars serve those most in need.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Good).
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain.)
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, my colleagues have presented many good arguments against this bill in general and why we should be voting for these amendments that are in this en bloc. These amendments will provide needed improvements to the underlying legislation and make sure that program funds are spent on the program's original goal, serving low- income Americans and helping them get out of poverty.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this en bloc amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition, but I am not opposed.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, we owe our military veterans a huge debt of gratitude, and we must make sure they are well supported as they transition back into the civilian workforce.
This amendment encourages the CSBG program to meet the needs of low- income veterans, especially homeless veterans. It is surprising to me that we need to put such an amendment in this bill because we would think that the CSBG program would already be doing it. But since this is a worthy goal and one that I support, I will support this amendment.
In fact, Madam Speaker, I wear a pin every day with the United States flag, the North Carolina flag, and a banner under it that says: ``I support veterans.'' Therefore, I must support an amendment that would support veterans.
While I have concerns with the underlying bill, I think this is a good amendment, and I appreciate the gentleman offering it.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, we must do all we can to make sure we help low-income and homeless veterans. I think this amendment furthers that effort.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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