Providing for Consideration of H. Con. Res. 99, Concurrent Resolution on the BUdget for Fiscal Year 2008

Floor Speech

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. CON. RES. 99, CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008

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Ms. DeLAURO. Let's be clear. The 2008 budget resolution, the Democratic proposal leaves the tax cuts in place, it plans for their extension, and it extends the child tax credit and will do that. If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle cared a whit about the child tax credit, they would entertain lowering the eligibility threshold so that families who make less than $10,500 a year in this Nation could be eligible for the child tax credit. They refuse to do that. So take their words with a grain of salt today, my friends.

As a nation, we face great challenges, challenges in education and in health care, challenges that the Federal Government has the ability, the capacity, the resources and the moral obligation to help us meet.

Our job is to help create real opportunity, to give people the tools that they need to succeed. The budget that we consider today reflects our Nation's values and puts us on the right path to meet our obligations.

I am proud of the work that we have done with this budget because I believe it addresses our most urgent priorities, and for the first time in 6 years we have a budget that makes an investment in children and in families. It puts children first by addressing their health care needs. It rejects the inadequate funding level proposed by the President for the SCHIP, the children's health care program. Our Nation's health care problems have become increasingly desperate. SCHIP is virtually the only success story that we have, covering nearly 1 million more children and working families today than even President Clinton anticipated when he created it.

And Republicans agree. Recently, I received a letter from my Republican Governor from the State of Connecticut saying as much.

This expands coverage to the estimated 6 million children eligible but not currently enrolled in SCHIP.

This budget focuses on education. A quality education is more closely tied to our economic prosperity than ever. It is critical to staying competitive in today's global economy. The President's budget reduces our commitment to education investment for a third year in a row. As we face record school enrollments, the academic requirements under No Child Left Behind and rising college costs, to say nothing of increased competition from China and India, the President's budget takes us in the wrong direction for this country.

Now is the time to invest more in education and not less. The funding allows for an infusion of new resources for No Child Left Behind and IDEA, where the Federal Government has a promise to keep, and it works to make higher education more affordable through a commitment to the Pell Grants.

Madam Speaker, I support this rule. I support this budget. It represents a commitment to fiscal responsibility and a greater investment in our future.

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