The Facts About the President’s Veto of Labor-HHS Bill
November 15th, 2007 by Office of the SpeakerBut Vetoes America’s Priorities – Calls Them “Excessive”
Tonight the House will vote on whether to override this cruel veto.
On Tuesday, President Bush vetoed the Labor-Health-Education Appropriations bill – a bipartisan and fiscally responsible bill that addresses the needs and priorities of the American people – calling these investments in domestic initiatives dedicated to helping families “excessive.”
Below are some examples of key priorities in the Labor-Health-Education Appropriations bill that the President vetoed compared with how many days in Iraq that money would pay for, based on an estimate by the Congressional Research Service that we are spending $330 million in Iraq every day.
$30 billion – National Institutes of Health: Life Saving Medical Research
$14.8 billion – Title I: Education for the Disadvantaged
$11.3 billion – IDEA State Grants: Special Education
$7.0 billion – Head Start: Early Childhood Education
$3.4 billion – Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services for Veterans
$2.4 billion – LIHEAP: Heating Assistance for Low Income Families
$2.2 billion – Community Health Centers
$1.5 billion – Job Training & Career Placement Dislocated Workers
$1.2 billion – Career & Vocational Education
$1.1 billion – 21st Century Learning Centers: After School Programs
$228 million – Veterans’ Employment Programs
$23.6 million – Homeless Veterans Services
$9.5 million – Programs for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injuries