WASHINGTON (7 October) - U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight, today issued the following statement after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) decided to halt a $1 million grant it awarded to ACORN in New Orleans as part of FEMA's Fire Prevention and Safety Grants program:

“ACORN has demonstrated it is not worthy of the public’s trust, and I am pleased that FEMA has agreed with me and others in Congress who believe we should not be funding this corrupt enterprise.

"Taxpayer's money should not be going to an organization which has engaged in unlawful behavior. ACORN employees were recently caught on tape encouraging prostitution, tax fraud, and human trafficking. This is not the type of activity that should be rewarded with scarce homeland security resources.”

NOTE: On September 17, Bilirakis sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asking the agency to repeal a nearly $1 million grant it awarded to ACORN earlier this month which can be found here.