Washington, DC – Rep. Tom Price (GA-06-R) issued the following statement today after Democrats voted to avoid attaching needed accountability measures to the Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007 (H.R. 1227).

The Promise:

“Democrats are committed to a new direction in the way our government does business so taxpayers’ money is handled responsibly.” – Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Source: DC Examiner, 2/5/2007)

The Reality:

Refusing to hold state and local governments accountable, Democrats opposed an amendment by Rep. Price to H.R. 1227 which would prohibit states and localities from using federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to cover local matching requirements (Roll Call Vote 169, 3/21/07). Federal assistance often requires state and local governments to match federal grants with state or local spending contributions in order to deter waste, fraud and abuse. This in turn gives the local recipients greater incentive for good management.

“There is absolutely no question that Congress must be held accountable when spending taxpayer dollars,” said Price. “Refusing to ask state and local governments to play their part in ensuring responsible spending is an abuse of American generosity. We must do a far better job of assisting our fellow citizens so we do not persist in wasting millions of dollars.”

“In the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we have seen an outpouring of both public and private assistance. My amendment will help all those involved in this process so that the necessary assistance is spent wisely.”

The Solution:

Positive, Principled, Solution-Oriented Leadership

Democrat Broken Promise Meter: 22

Democrats and Waste, Fraud, and Abuse (03/22/07)

Democrats and a Clean Minimum Wage (03/9/07)

Democrats and PAYGO Promises (03/7/07)

Democrats and High Ethical Standards (03/1/07)

Democrats and Card Check vs. State Law (02/28/07)

Democrats and Troop Funding (02/15/07)

Democrats and Iraq(02/13/07)

Democrats and Card Check Flip-Flop (02/12/07)

Democrats and Special Interests (02/08/07)

Democrats and Air Tavel(02/07/07)

Democrats and Earmarks(02/02/07)

Democrats and Troop Funding (01/29/07)

Democrats and Bipartisanship(01/24/07)

Democrats and Energy Policy(01/18/07)

Democrats and Student Loans(01/16/07)

Democrats and PAYGO (1/11/07)

Democrats and National Security (1/9/07)

Democrats and Five-Day-Work-Week (1/7/07)

Democrats and 24 Hours to Review Legislation (1/3/07)

Democrats and Committee Assignments (12/27/06)

Democrats and 9/11 Recommendations (12/18/06)

Democrats and the Legislative Process (12/15/06)

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