In response to the overwhelming cry for welfare reform, I met with House Speaker Newt Gingrich early in the 104th Congress about a plan to better utilize an existing, yet under-used infrastructure that presently assists the poor throughout the country. As a co-founder of the model Community Action Agency of Delaware County, I learned that Community Action Agencies are public-private partnerships that combine the best elements of federal, state, local, and private contributions to effectively serve the poor. Over 1000 of
these agencies, funded by federal and state seed money used to leverage private monies, exist today and they have demonstrated a tremendous ability to involve the private sector, as well as intended beneficiaries, in the decision-making process.

Knowing of their unparalleled in their flexibility and non-bureaucratic delivery of assistance to the poor, I encouraged my colleagues to support an increase in the federal money to these agencies, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), by an unprecedented 26%. FY -97 funding for the CSBG realized a $100 million increase over the FY -96 funding level of $389.6 million. In a time of budgetary belt-tightening, this increase demonstrated Congress' commitment to effective welfare reform where the money gets to the intended beneficiaries and is not sucked up by the administrating bureaucracy. Flexibility, local involvement, and private contributions are elements vital to best assisting the poor. Knowing that, I remain committed to the efforts of Community Action Agencies across the nation as well as to the millions of lives they can positively affect.