Delegation: Don't cut community services
WASHINGTON -- Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation are urging House appropriators not to support cuts to grants that pay for a range of community services for the poor, the disabled and the elderly.
Nine House members from Massachusetts are among 84 Democrats who sent a letter to the top members of the House Appropriations Committee saying that cuts to Community Service Block Grants would harm vulnerable citizens when the services are most needed. Edward J. Markey, a Malden Democrat, provided the letter's first signature.
"Severe cuts to CSBGs – the source of funding for community action programs - would hinder, rather than help, our nation’s economic recovery while devastating critical support services for the poor, disabled, children and the elderly," the letter read.
The only Massachusetts member who did not sign was John Olver of Amherst. Olver is a member of House Appropriations and as a policy does not sign letters to the committee, according to a spokeswoman.
Theo Emery can be reached at temery@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @temery.
About Political Intelligence
Glen Johnson is Politics Editor at boston.com and lead blogger for "Political Intelligence." He moved to Massachusetts in the fourth grade, and has covered local, state, and national politics for over 25 years. E-mail him at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen. |
