Mr. Speaker, today the House began debate on the budget for the next year. This is the time when each party shows its true priorities. The Democrats have promised to ensure our homeland security while providing for the needs of America's working families: health care, education, safe communities.

This is another chance to tell the people to tell the administration that we are not going to fund this misguided occupation of Iraq. We are quickly approaching one-half trillion dollars for the occupation of Iraq, including billions that have been lost, misallocated, or squandered, while drastically cutting important domestic programs in the United States of America.

Let me say that one more time: one-half trillion dollars. What comes after a trillion? A zillion? This might not mean much to some of the folks in Washington, but to the people scraping to get by this means everything.

We are in the fifth year of this occupation, and if we follow the leadership of the administration we will be there for years to come. In fact, they even say that the exit strategy for Iraq will be decided by future presidents. Presidents. Not one, but many. This is really unacceptable.

The Progressive Caucus budget, the Peace and Security budget, takes a stand against the ridiculous budget request and puts the money where it will do the most good. By ending our military presence in Iraq, we can save at least $202 billion over the next 2 years. Doing that, we can focus on the real needs of Americans.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus budget will fully fund No Child Left Behind and IDEA and improve the Teacher Corps and job training. It will provide affordable, accessible, quality health care for Americans, starting with fully funding the SCHIP program to ensure that every American child is covered for basic health insurance. It will rebuild America's communities by increasing funding for Community Development Block Grants, Hurricane Katrina relief, and reconstruction and community policing. It also guarantees veterans health care and ensures that the Federal funding that is needed will be available to provide health care, including mental health care, for every single American veteran, including but not limited to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

This Peace and Security budget gives a fair shake for working families by increasing funding to protect fundamental worker rights, enforcing credit and lending practices, and promoting liveable wages and safe work places. It also will renew the social contract and 21st century safety net by substantially increasing funding for decent, affordable housing, for anti-hunger programs, and more quality child care for low-income and impoverished Americans, including Hurricane Katrina victims.

Does this mean that we will abandon our obligation throughout the world? Absolutely not. We will support the Smart Security Plan by increasing nonmilitary spending to enhance homeland security and to fight the root causes of terrorism, a real 21st century diplomacy plan that meets basic human needs such as fighting HIV and AIDS and providing for universal basic education.

If we had spent the last 4 years focusing on the real needs of America's working families and not fighting this endless, misguided occupation of Iraq, America would be safer, more prosperous and a leader in peace and security worldwide.

It is time to bring common sense and reason back to our foreign policy. I call on my colleagues to join me in supporting the Progressive Caucus budget, the Peace and Security budget, and to join me in the call to bring our troops home now.