[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 7, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H2732-H2733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          IN OPPOSITION TO CHILD NUTRITION AND SUMMER JOB CUTS

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker, I hold in my hands the Constitution of 
the United States of America, which has in some parts of it the 
opportunity for all of us to pursue happiness and to establish 
equality. I simply ask, who is working for the children?
  It is interesting to hear expressions about how much these block 
grants and these votes will provide more dollars for school breakfasts 
and lunches. In fact, they really do not. What they actually do is cut 
the dollars, because they do not take into consideration the increased 
need of our children and our mothers, who are in fact fighting every 
day to survive.
  [[Page H2733]] Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak against the runaway 
legislative freight train that threatens to crush the lives of millions 
of America's children. In particular, as a Representative for the 18th 
Congressional District in the State of Texas, I acknowledge that there 
are businesses, small businesses, there are working people, middle 
class, but I also say that my district has a wealth of children who are 
in fact in need of school breakfasts and school lunches.
  My Republican colleagues indicate and are the conductors of the 
unconscionable train. Mr. Speaker, we must realize that we have to 
stand for the children. We cannot lose $670 million in my home State of 
Texas alone between now and the year 2000.
  Mr. Speaker, let us not cut nutrition for our children, let us stand 
up and fight and uphold the Constitution.
  Mr. Speaker, I must rise today to speak against the runaway 
legislative freight train that threatens to crush the lives of millions 
of America's children.
  My colleagues from the other side of the aisle are the conductors of 
this unconscionable train, and they continue to drive that train at 
breakneck speed through this body without any consideration about what 
and who they will leave lying bloody on the tracks behind them.
  Their agenda--already declared immoral by Cardinal John O'Connor--
will slash child nutrition programs--more than $670 million in my home 
State of Texas alone between now and the year 2000.
  And now, as if nutrition cuts were not horrific enough, the mad 
conductors of the runaway train have set their sights on summer job 
programs. Bear in mind, these are the same folks who complain about 
welfare dependency and cycles of poverty. Do they not see, Mr. Speaker, 
that denying some 600,000 needy young people a summer job will only 
make it that much more difficult for them to get the work experience 
they'll need to break our of poverty?
  Mr. Speaker, I fear these Republican conductors do not see the damage 
their runaway train will wreak because they are blinded by their zeal 
to cut taxes, with no real focus on the deficit of working Americans.
  For the sake of America's children, this train must be stopped.
  

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