Cornyn Amendment Will Provide Texas At Least $182 Million In Community Development Funding

Cornyn Amendment Will Provide Texas At Least $182 Million In Community Development Funding
Bipartisan amendment accepted unanimously to Senate Emergency Supplemental bill—ensures that Texas receives fair share of Community Development Block Grants for hurricane recovery
Wednesday, May 03, 2006

WASHINGTON—Texas will receive an additional $182 million for hurricane recovery efforts under a bipartisan amendment sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn that was unanimously accepted to the pending Emergency Supplemental bill on Wednesday.

The amendment will provide Texas with at least $182 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) that can be used for various hurricane relief efforts including long-term recovery and infrastructure restoration.

"This amendment will ensure that Texas is not forgotten and continuing hurricane recovery needs are met," Cornyn said. "Texas will receive a fair share of this important funding source to help make our communities whole after last year's devastating storms."

The amendment is co-sponsored by Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.).

The Cornyn amendment guarantees Texas at least 3.5 percent of the $5.2 billion included in the supplemental bill for CDBG funding—at least $182 million, more than double the amount allocated to Texas earlier this year ($74.5 million).

Congress provided $11.5 billion in CDBG funds for hurricane relief last year. But only $74.5 million under that program, CDBG funds, was allocated to Texas, or less than one percent.

The CDBG program is a flexible funding source that provides communities with assistance to address a wide range of unique community development needs.

A final Senate vote on the overall supplemental funding bill could come as early as Wednesday.

http://cornyn.senate.gov/index.asp?f=record&lid=1&yid=1&rid=237172&pg=1