OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

TRANSCRIPT

Hoyer: 'Exhibit A' In Republicans' Misguided Priorities, Fiscal Recklessness
June 23, 2005

MR. HOYER: I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO REVISE AND EXTEND MY REMARKS. THE CHAIRMAN: WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. HOYER: I THANK THE DISTINGUISHED RAHM AND CONGRATULATE HIM ON THE EXTRAORDINARY JOB HE DOES AS THE RANKING MEMBER NOT ONLY ON THIS SUBCOMMITTEE BUT ALL THE SUBCOMMITTEES. LET ME BEGIN WITH A TRADITIONAL DISCLAIMER AND THAT DISCLAIMER IS I DO NOT HOLD RALPH REGULA PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PRODUCT. HE HAS DONE THE BEST HE COULD WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WERE GIVEN TO HIM. AND I CONGRATULATE HIM AND THANK HIM FOR THAT. NOR DO I HOLD MR. LEWIS RESPONSIBLE. BUT I DO HOLD RESPONSIBLE THE POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, BY THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, AND BY THIS HOUSE. MR. SPEAKER, JUST THREE MONTHS AGO THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY LEADER, MR. DELAY, STOOD ON THIS HOUSE FLOOR AND WITH GREAT PASSION STATED, AND I QUOTE, THE ONE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY OF A GOVERNMENT IS TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT, VULNERABLE PEOPLE. ON THAT VERY SAME DAY, MADAM CHAIR, IN MARCH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES STATED, AND I QUOTE, THE ESSENCE OF CIVILIZATION IS THAT THE STRONG HAVE A DUTY TO PROTECT THE WEAK. I SERVED UNDER BILL NATCHER FROM KENTUCKY WHO CHAIRED THIS COMMITTEE FOR MANY YEARS. AND HE USED TO SAY THAT AS LONG AS WE TAKE CARE OF THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN AND THE HEALTH 6 OUR PEOPLE -- OF OUR PEOPLE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THE STRONGEST AND GREATEST NATION ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. BUT NOW, MR. SPEAKER, THE POLITICAL PARTY THAT EXPLOITS EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE CULTURE OF LIFE VIRTUALLY IGNORES AND DISMISSS WHAT I CALL THE CULTURE OF THE LIVING. THE INNOCENT, THE VULNERABLE THE WEAK, WHO ARE LIVING, BREATHING MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN FAMILY TODAY. THIS BILL DEMONSTRATES IN CONCRETE TERMS HOW THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S MISGUIDED, IRRESPONSIBLE TAX AND BUDGET POLICIES HAVE HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES FOR SO MANY LIVING AMERICANS. JUST YESTERDAY, MADAM CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT BUSH VISITED MY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN MARYLAND AND HE STATED AND I QUOTE, I KNOW SOME WORKERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT JOBS GOING OVERSEAS, CLOSED QUOTE. YET THIS BILL CUTS JOB TRAINING FOR UNPLOYED BY $346 MILLION. THIS BILL CUTS THE PRESIDENT'S COMMUNITY COLLEGE SKILLS TRAINING INITIATIVE IN HALF. THIS BILL CUTS THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR AFFAIRS BUREAU BY 87%. WHICH HELPS ENFORCE CHILD AND SLAVE LABOR ABROAD. MR. PRESIDENT, WE ARE NOT MEETING THE CONCERNS. HE WENT ON TO SAY AND I QUOTE, I KNOW SOME ARE CONCERNED ABOUT GAINING THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO COMPETE IN THE GLOBAL MARKET THAT WE LIVE IN. YET THIS BILL CUTS NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND BY $8 06 MILLION THIS IS $13.2 BILLION SHORT OF AUTHORIZATION AND $40 BILLION SHORT OF WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID WE WERE GOING TO FUND WHEN HE SIGNED THE BILL. THIS BILL PROVIDES A $50 INCREASE IN PELL GRANTS, NOT WITHSTANDING HUNDREDS OF INCREASES. THIS CUTS EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY BY 40%, THIS CUTS THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT IN HALF. THIS BILL CUTS THE ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSAL FOR TITLE 1 BY $603 MILLION. MR. PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED, BUT YOU HAVEN'T RESPONDED. HE WENT ON TO SAY THIS LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, QUOTE, I KNOW THAT FAMILIES ARE WORRIED ABOUT HEALTH CARE AND RETIREMENT. AND I KNOW MOMS AND DADS ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN FINDING GOOD JOBS. YET MADAM CHAIR THIS BILL ELIMINATES 10 OF THE 12 HEALTH PROFESSIONS TRAINING PROGRAMS, HELPING TO ALLEVIATE THE SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS AND DENTISTS IN UNDERSERVED AREA TO MEET THE CONCERN THAT HE RECOGNIZES THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE. THIS BILL, MADAM CHAIR, ELIMINATES THE HEALTH COMMUNITY'S ACCESS PROGRAM THAT HELPS HEALTH CENTERS AND HOSPITALS SERVE THE UNINSURED. THIS CUTS THE MENTAL HEALTH BLOCK GRANT BY $24 MILLION, THIS FREEZES AFTER SCHOOL CENTERS FOR THE FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW. THIS BILL PROVIDES .5% INCREASE, WHICH MEANS THEY WILL DO LESS FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH THAT RESEARCHES THE AFFLICTIONS THAT CONFRONTS AMERICANS -- MAY I HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL MINUTE. IS THAT POSSIBLE. MR. OBEY: ONE ADDITIONAL MINUTE IS ALL I HAVE. MR. HOYER: I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR THOSE WHO SPEAK ABOUT THE CULTURE OF LIFE. WE MUST ASK, WHAT ABOUT THE CULTURE OF THE LIVING? WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THIS BILL WHOSE QUALITY OF LIFE IS CRITICALLY AFFECTED BY THIS BILL. THIS BILL IS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF DOMESTIC LEGISLATION THAT THIS CONGRESS CONSIDERS EVERY YEAR. IT IS A STATEMENT OF NATIONAL AND MORAL PRINCIPLE, BUT TODAY IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN EXHIBIT A FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S CULTURE OF FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY.