Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 3043, Departments Of Labor, Health And Human Services, And Education, And Related Agencies Appropriations Act...
Floor Speech
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3043, DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (House of Representatives - July 17, 2007)
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. WELCH of Vermont. I thank the gentlewoman from California.
Mr. Speaker, this Congress faces the challenge of acting on the direction of the American people, as expressed in the vote of November 2006, and that is to change the direction of this country and to restore a domestic agenda that serves all Americans.
We began, and again on a bipartisan basis, with 100 hours, raising the minimum wage, reversing wasteful subsidies to the big oil companies, and instead funding renewable energy, requiring price negotiations so our taxpayers didn't get ripped off in prescription drug prices, making college more affordable.
These measures are a down payment, but just a beginning. Today, the House takes up the eighth of 12 appropriation bills. This bill, under the leadership of Mr. Obey, more than anything else, is going to put a stamp on a new direction that this Congress is moving in.
It's a direction that says all Americans have to be included, not just the wealthy, not just those who can afford corporate lobbyists. All Americans have a right to affordable education, to quality health care, to safe working conditions and to a financially secure retirement. Getting from here to there is a challenge, but this is the road that this bill takes us on.
Let me mention just four different areas. First, the legislation restores $7.6 billion in funding to vital programs that have been cut by the administration. At the same time, it saves $1.1 billion from lower priority programs. There is a commitment here to fiscal responsibility.
We must invest in America's future generations, and the bill does that.
Second, again, I will just mention a few things that are important to us in Vermont. We have had unfunded mandates. Special Ed, No Child Left Behind are the poster childs of that. This bill increases funding for No Child Left Behind by $8.6 billion over fiscal year 2007.
This bill invests in vital rural health care programs, something that we in Vermont are very familiar with, by increasing funding by $307 million. That provides real services to real people with real health care problems. This bill increases funding for the vital Low Income Heating Assistance Program. That was cut in the administration proposal by $379 million, or 17.5 percent, below last year's level. That's simply not sustainable. That's going to inflict real harm on people who have no ability to control the price of home heating oil.
This bill is taking us further on the road of having a Congress who is committed to the needs of all Americans.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source