‘Read Lips’ on Homeless, Williams Asks Bush

Comedic actor Robin Williams, testifying today on Capitol Hill in support of legislation to help the homeless, did his best imitation of President Bush and said, “George, read my lips. Help us.”

Williams, the star of last year’s hit movie “Dead Poets Society,” and fellow comedians Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal have raised $8.7 million to provide health care for the homeless. The entertainers gathered the money through “Comic Relief,” their fund-raising program broadcast on cable television.

Support for the legislation sponsored by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) brought Williams and Goldberg to the Capitol to testify three days shy of their next cable special. The bill would provide $265 million to assist homeless people.

Williams said he is most moved by the plight of homeless children.

“You can’t turn your back on them. When people talk about right to life, it doesn’t end at birth. It should be amended to a right to a decent life. You need your health and that’s why we’re here,” Williams said.

“George, read my lips, help us,” he quipped.

Goldberg, who has starred in the films “The Color Purple” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” said it is not necessarily the general public that needs to be educated about homelessness.

“It’s the education of people who sit in office, who sit in power and have the ability to say yes Panama, Nicaragua, America. It’s a very sad state of affairs when we can’t take care of our own,” she said.

“The thousand points of light that they’re talking are the people on the streets who are dimming, and should he let us dim, the country will go out,” Goldberg said.

Crystal had been expected to join the other comedians, but Goldberg said he was ill and unable to attend.

Kennedy said the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, which he chairs, is scheduled to vote on the bill in June.

The Massachusetts Democrat and other co-sponsors acknowledged there are always supportive voices about the merits of such a bill, but more limited support when it comes time to appropriate the funds.

“We pontificate and give speeches for the authorization bills, but when it comes to biting the bullet and appropriating the money, we’re more reluctant,” said co-sponsor Sen. Mark O. Hatfield (R-Ore.), who added that the money needs to be spent to attack the causes of the homelessness.

Kennedy said, “This (bill) is so compelling and the need is so great I’m very hopeful we can convince the President to sign it.”