[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 39 (Thursday, March 2, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H2575-H2576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN THE WORLD OF NEWT GINGRICH, WE TURN OUR BACKS ON CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Olver] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the gentlewoman 
from North Carolina [Mrs. Clayton] for organizing this time. We are all 
indebted to the people of North Carolina for your leadership on issues 
of equity, such as this.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot protest enough what is really going on right 
now in this people's House of Representatives. I hope there are some 
parents out there who have put their children to bed and are listening 
to tonight's discussion. If your child eats breakfast at school, eats a 
hot school lunch, eats at day care while you work, or has cereal or 
milk or orange juice purchased with WIC coupons, or eats any food from 
a food bank, perhaps at the end of the month when money is tight, or 
has a meal that is purchased with food stamps, and I know that food 
stamps do not just help people who receive welfare payments, but also 
help millions of full-time workers to make ends meet, if your child 
uses any of these, your child is at risk.
  The new Republican majority in this House is waging a full-scale war 
on America's children. The first goal of this war is to cripple the 
effort to end hunger among America's children, and that is a cruel 
move. Thus far, Republicans have staged this battle on two fronts: 
first, in their welfare reform bill, the Personal Responsibility Act.
  That bill turns all Federal child nutrition services into State block 
grants. I have already said that many of the children who benefit today 
are not even on welfare, but that does not seem to matter. Now, the 
idea of block grants is not all bad. We have other block grants for 
community services and community development that go to the States and 
work well. But look again. This is not just a shift in who runs the 
current nutrition services, it is really a dangerous shell game.
  The Republicans washed their hands of any responsibility for the 
welfare of America's children, shifted that responsibility to the 
States, and at the same time cut billions of dollars needed by those 
States to adequately feed those children.
  The second front of this war is the rescissions bill which was 
approved by the Committee on Appropriations just today. The Republicans 
today cut $25 million from the WIC program. WIC provides nutrition to 
pregnant women that reduces the risk of having low-birthweight babies, 
thereby saving heartbreak and billions of dollars. WIC helps mothers 
buy infant formula for their babies, milk and juice for their preschool 
children.
  These are a child's formative years, when good nutrition is crucial. 
Today's cut is just the beginning. Republicans 
[[Page H2576]] expect to cut at least $10 billion from Federal aid for 
childhood nutrition. It is a total myth that these cuts are being made 
to reduce the deficit.
  The Republicans are willing to hurt children so they can buy fantasy 
projects like the Star Wars antiballistic missile system and so they 
can shovel out massive tax breaks to the very wealthiest of Americans. 
They want to give $55 billion in tax cuts to families with more than 
$200,000 of income per year.
  Mr. Speaker, children cannot vote or make political contributions, so 
they are being trashed. It is shameful. The health of children should 
be one of the first priorities of every Member of Congress. We are 
supposed to be building a better Nation, but in the world of Newt 
Gingrich, we will shamefully throw that responsibility to the States, 
then cut the dollars that the States need to meet it.
  In the world of Newt Gingrich, we will turn our backs on children. 
That is a terrible way to invest in our future.

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