Dave Leyland with Ambassador Lloyd Hand
"I am truly blessed to be serving as the Executive Director of Community Action Partnership." For many of you who know me, you've heard me say this a thousand times. Last week I was reminded again just how important long-term relationships have been in securing the success of Community Action and the programs we administer.
I thought I would take this time to share just some of the highlights of my fruitful trip to Washington DC last week.
Remembering LBJ - Michael Beschloss, presidential historian and author gave us a remarkable accounting of the President who created a legacy called Community Action. In writing his book entitled "Taking Charge," Beschloss captures the essence of the Johnson Whitehouse. The book contains transcripts of President Johnson's taped conversations giving incredible details about the Johnson Presidency.
We were fortunate to have Ambassador Lloyd Hand, senior counsel in King & Spalding's Government Advocacy and Public Policy Practice Group, speaking at our conference. His practice includes providing counsel to U.S. Fortune 500 companies, foreign governments and institutional clients regarding legislative, administrative, regulatory and international trade issues, as well as contract negotiations relating to defense and aerospace matters.
Ambassador Hand is one of the very few remaining close confidants of President Johnson. In 1957, he was Assistant to the Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson. When Mr. Johnson became President, Mr. Hand served as his personal Ambassador, the US Chief of Protocol with the rank of Ambassador.
We then had a panel presentation, Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity with Andrea Silbert, president, EOS Foundation, and Jodie Levin-Epstein, deputy director, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). I strongly recommend going to www.spotlightonpoverty.org and looking at the list of resources about poverty and opportunity.
Early Thursday morning, our first speaker was the Honorable David Obey of Wisconsin. Congressman Obey serves on the Committee on Appropriations, which makes funding decisions on every discretionary program in the federal budget. Obey is the Chairman of the Committee. In that capacity, he serves as a member of all twelve Appropriations Subcommittees, including Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Defense.
Congressman Obey talked about the President’s 2009 budget proposal which zeroes out Community Services Block Grants, eliminates the Weatherization Assistance Program and significantly cuts Medicare, public health, low-income heating assistance and other domestic programs.
Mr. Obey assured us that the President's budget will not be the final word and Congress will fight to restore cuts in domestic programs.
Truly one of my favorite persons in Washington is Senator Tom Harkins from Iowa. Senator Harkin is the chairman of the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Committee. Here is just one of the inspirational comments from Senator Harkin:
“The reason you and I are here today is that we both believe in giving hope to those who need it and deserve it: children in poverty, those who have lost their jobs, poor elderly people having trouble meeting their energy bills,” Harkin said. “You give them a ladder so that they can climb out of poverty. . . . this is the help you give people. And, it makes a huge difference to have you here in Washington to tell your stories and meet individually with your members of Congress."
On Thursday I had an important meeting with Paul Sasser, Congressman Sam Grave's Legislative Director. We met to discuss the Congressman's support for the programs we administer at CAPSTJOE. It's very good to know that Congressman Graves recognizes how programs like Head Start, Energy Assistance and other CAP programs are important to the lives of citizens in Northwest Missouri.
Later that day I was part of a delegation that met with one of Senator Claire McCaskill's staff, Jarrel Christmas. We hoped to be able to spend a little time with the Senator, but she was in hearings during our visit. Senator McCaskill was one of 75 Senators who voted to continue funding for education, health care, and labor for fiscal year 2008, including funding for CSBG, Head Start, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. While it was a little disappointing not to get to talk with Claire, it was nonetheless an important opportunity to learn more about the Senator's priorities and be reassured that we continue to be one of those priorities.
Now for the fun part...
In a rather bizarre twist of fate, on Sunday evening my wife, Cindy, and I were dining in a pizza restaurant in Pentagon City when I noticed that one of the customers was none other than Ambassador Lloyd Hand. Meeting Mr. Hand personally gave me the opportunity to thank him for his service to our country and listen to him briefly comment about his days in the White House. Ambassador Hand was very kind and quite modest, thanking me for all the work of Community Action. He said Community Action and the War of Poverty was always something that President Johnson took great pride in accomplishing.
All of our visits on Capital Hill are planned with key talking points to emphasize to our legislators. For a more detailed look at what we shared with members of congress, go to www.ncaf.org and look up "talking points", or let me know and I'll get you a copy.
As we progress though another year of legislation and appropriations I will do my best to keep you informed.
I hope this report gives you just a little insight into the work that I do as the Executive Director for Community Action Partnership. Thank you for all that you do, on the frontlines of the true work to end poverty. Be sure to bookmark my Updates by going to www.capstjoedave.blogspot.com.
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