The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STEWART B. McKINNEY HOMELESS ASSISTANCE ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S10545 on Oct. 13, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STEWART B. McKINNEY HOMELESS ASSISTANCE ACT
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 5417, which is at the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 5417) to rename the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act as the ``McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.''
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise today to ask the Senate to pass legislation that has been sent to us by the House of Representatives that would change the name of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This is one, small step we can take to honor a colleague who devoted his life to public service, particularly service on behalf of the most disadvantaged Americans.
Bruce F. Vento has been one of the most effective advocates on behalf of homeless people throughout his career. Mr. Vento was one of the first Members of Congress to bring the plight of the nation's homeless to the public's attention. In 1982, Bruce introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to create the Emergency Shelter Grant Program. He attached an amendment to a housing bill to provide matching grants to repair vacant buildings to be used as temporary shelters. This became the first national legislation to provide federal assistance for emergency homeless shelters.
Throughout the 1980s, Mr. Vento worked repeatedly, with his colleagues on the House Banking Committee, to raise the profile of this issue and to build the coalitions necessary to enact comprehensive legislation to help the homeless across this nation. In early 1987, Representative Vento worked to pass an aid package that included $100 million for a program of emergency shelter grants to help charitable organizations and state and local governments renovate buildings for the homeless and succeeded in enacting the legislation into law.
In that same year, Congressman Vento was an original author of a larger, more comprehensive measure that became known as the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, the first and only coordinated federal initiative directed toward the problem of homelessness and the only social program that was passed during the Reagan era. The McKinney Act seeks to meet some of the immediate needs of the homeless: shelter, food, health care, education, job training services, and transitional housing through programs at HUD, FEMA, HHS, and the Education and Labor Departments. This legislation continues to be at the heart of the federal government's response to the ongoing problem of homelessness in America.
It is indeed fitting to honor Bruce Vento by joining his name with that of his friend and colleague, Stewart B. McKinney, on this legislation. In 1987, after Representative McKinney's passing, Bruce took a leading role in seeking to name the programs that would serve persons who are homeless as the McKinney Act because of Stewart McKinney's ``close association and concern and compassion that he espoused and reflected throughout his service'' in Congress. We all recognize how well these very same words, which Mr. Vento used to describe Stewart McKinney, embody the work and career of Bruce F. Vento himself.
Shortly after taking office, President Clinton asked then-speaker of the House Tom Foley to organize a Task Force to look into the problem of homelessness. In February of that year, Mr. Vento was appointed as the Chairman of that Task Force, which issued a comprehensive, nationally recognized report to the Speaker one year later.
During the past few years, Mr. Vento continued to work hard on the McKinney Act. He added language that improved prevention planning and activities so that people do not become homeless due to lack of foresight or planning. The Vento prevention language added discharge planning requirements for persons who are discharged from publicly funded institutions, that is, mental health facilities, youth facilities and correctional facilities, so that people are not merely discharged to the streets.
Mr. Vento also introduced the ``Stand Down Authorization Act.'' Created by several Vietnam veterans, Stand Downs are designed to give homeless veterans a brief respite from life on the streets. The Stand Down bill would, in conjunction with the grassroots community, expand the VA's role in providing outreach assistance to homeless veterans. In this Congress, H.R. 566 gained the strong support of over 100 bipartisan cosponsors, the VA, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Disabled American Vets (DAV).
Bruce Vento worked throughout his entire career to improve and save the lives of homeless men, women and children around this nation. In the tradition of Minnesota's great leader, Hubert H. Humphrey, Bruce has always believed that we are elected to formulate and enact policies which improve the quality of life of our citizens. I have had the pleasure of working with him these many years to do just that. That is why I urge you to join me in enacting into law this legislation to rename our nation's fundamental homeless statute the McKinney-Vento Act. This act will duly honor a colleague who has worked long and hard for the most vulnerable Americans, people who are without a home to call their own.
Mr. President, while this legislation deals with homelessness, I want to make it clear that Mr. Vento's interests and accomplishments go far beyond this important area. He was one of the strongest proponents of FHA in the Congress. He understood how FHA has been a crucial tool in helping millions of families attain the dream of homeownership in America.
Mr. Vento played an active role in helping craft the bipartisan public housing reform legislation that passed in 1998. He was a leader in the effort to preserve affordable housing that has been threatened by expiring use restrictions or rental assistance contracts. Important progress as made on this front last year. He was a strong supporter of the effort to increase and strengthen community-based non-profits in their efforts to develop affordable housing and revitalize our communities.
Mr. Vento has been a longstanding supporter of the Community Reinvestment Act, CRA, because he understood how access to capital for homeownership and small businesses is the key to ensuring equal opportunity for all Americans, regardless of the neighborhoods they live in or their economic status. I was privileged to work closely with him to preserve CRA during the debate on financial services modernization legislation.
Finally, Mr. Vento was a strong supporter of consumer protection laws, from the Fair Credit Reporting Act, to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, to the Home Ownership Equity Protection Act.
Renaming the McKinney Act is one small way that all of us can honor Mr. Vento's memory. Mr. President, Bruce Vento will be sorely missed in the Congress of the United States. I want to join President Clinton, my colleagues, and many others in expressing my deepest sympathies to Mr. Vento's family and friends.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (H.R. 5417) was read the third time and passed.
____________________
