Pelosi
Statement on the Effect of Bush Budget on African Americans
March 10,
2004
Washington,
D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined Congressional
Democrats to release a report highlighting the negative effect of
the Bush Administration's budget on African American priorities:
"Thank
you all for being here today to release this critical report.
"Democrats
are fighting every day for the issues African Americans care about:
jobs and growing the economy, quality education, health care, civil
rights, affordable housing, and safe and secure communities.
"We are
fighting for opportunity, responsibility, and community. But, as
the report we are releasing today shows, the Presidents budget
undermines opportunity, evades responsibility, and destroys community.
"It undermines
opportunity for African Americans.
"His budget
it fails to deliver $9.4 billion in promised education funding under
No Child Left Behind, and guts Head Start for 297,000 African American
children.
"Even
though 69 percent of African Americans undergraduate students receive
some form of financial aid, the President freezes the maximum Pell
Grant award in the face of skyrocketing tuitions and cuts funding
for low-interest loans for low-income students by nearly $100 million.
"The Bush
budget also cuts funding for the Small Business Administration,
which helps minority-owned small businesses grow, by $79 million.
"The Presidents
budget evades responsibility.
"With
the African American unemployment rate at 9.8 percent and with 1.6
million African Americans looking for work, the President does nothing
to create good-paying jobs here at home, even as he squanders an
additional $1 trillion over the next 10 years on additional tax
cuts for those who need them least.
"The Presidents
budget destroys community.
"His budget
cuts grants to develop low-income communities by 7 percent, slashes
the investment in community policing initiatives by 87 percent,
and cuts juvenile justice programs by 41 percent.
"The President
simply has the wrong priorities. Instead of providing African Americans
with an opportunity to achieve the American dream, he is mortgaging
their future on irresponsible tax cuts for those who need it least,
instead of looking out for the least among us.
"Democrats
are fighting against the Presidents distorted priorities.
We are committed to building an America that helps African American
families - and all American families - create a better future for
their children."
For a copy
of the full report, click
here:
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