[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 39 (Thursday, March 2, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H2574-H2575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              EFFECT OF CONTRACT WITH AMERICA ON CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Maloney] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, if passed, the Republican contract's war 
on children will have a devastating impact on New York City.
  The Republican contract would cut assistance for children across the 
board including large reductions in: school lunches and breakfasts, 
nutrition programs, food stamps, medical care, education, and housing 
programs.
  In the contract's plan to cap the food Stamp Program, New Yorkers 
would lose $300 million in the first year alone. A food stamp reduction 
of that magnitude could prevent as many as 190,000 children from 
receiving assistance.
  In the contract's plan to lower child nutrition costs, New York State 
stands to lose $70 million in assistance by 1996, and $600 million by 
the year 2000.
  This contradicts the overwhelming evidence that child nutrition 
programs lower the possibility of low birthweight and anemia in 
children.
  In the contract's plan to eliminate the school lunch and school 
breakfast programs, over 800,000 children in New York City will be 
forced to pay more for breakfast and lunch.
  I would really like to know where are they going to get that money to 
eat.
  Schools will have to choose either to cut back on the quality of food 
or simply not provide lunches for children who need to eat.
  There is even talk that the Summer Meals Program might be eliminated 
altogether.
  Mr. Speaker, even President Richard Nixon supported school nutrition 
programs when he stated, ``A child ill fed is dulled in curiosity, 
lower in stamina, distracted from learning.''
  These cuts are callous and mean-spirited. They not only affect child 
nutrition programs, but they also affect many other well deserving 
programs.
  The contract would cut Medicaid and Medicare by $33 billion over the 
next 7 years.
  In an effort to dismantle Federal nutrition programs, the Republicans 
voted to expand the profits of four U.S. drug corporations of up to $1 
billion by elminating a competitive bidding process for infant formula. 
As a result, these four companies can raise their prices and pad their 
profits.
  What does that say about our family values?
  The Republicans voted to cut $1.3 billion in heating assistance to 
needy families while at the same time voting for a $6.5 million pork-
barrel visitor center with a complete heating system for a Republican's 
district in Oregon.
  What does that say about our family values?
  The Republicans voted to eliminate 185,000 meals a day for children 
in family day care homes while at the same time voted to continue 
spending tens of billions of dollars on the F-22 fighter.
  What does that say about our family values?
  It has become very clear that the Republicans are forcing children to 
pay 
[[Page H2575]] the heaviest burdens for their pet projects.
  Mr. Speaker, the Republican recently proposed budget cuts inflicts 
even more damage to programs for children. Their plan has proposed:
  A $10 million cut for Healthy Start--a program which gives needed 
pre-natal care to expectant mothers.
  A $25 million cut for the Women, Infant, and Children [WIC] program 
that would knock 100,000 expectant women and newborn children out of a 
program which provides badly needed nutrition assistance.
  A $100 million cut for foster care.
  Mr. Speaker, why was there not a single Defense Department or pork 
barrel project considered?
  The petrified pork civilian marksmanship program still wastes $2 
million a year for free ammunition and recreational shooting.
  What ever happened to America's family values? This plan is headed in 
the wrong direction.


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