[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 126 (Tuesday, August 1, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H8072-H8073]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        SAFETY, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING FOR AMERICA'S WORK FORCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Woolsey] is recognized 
during morning business for 3 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, this HHS bill is worse than I ever thought 
possible. This bill will go down in history because it marks the 
beginning of the end of the Federal Government's role in education and 
training. It is sweeping and radical legislation which guts our 
education system, weakens workplace safety and makes a mockery of our 
efforts to get families off welfare. It makes college education almost 
impossible for not only the very poor, but also for the working poor 
and for middle-income families.
  This bill ignores the Government's responsibility to educate our 
kids. It makes it impossible for mothers to get 

[[Page H8073]]
off welfare and into jobs. It forces education and training to take a 
back seat to tax breaks for fat cats and special interests.
  Mr. Speaker, with this bill, the new majority has declared war on our 
children and war on our workers. It must be defeated.
  I have heard from workers across the country about the new majority's 
effort to weaken workplace health and safety rules. Over and over 
again, spouses, parents, and children tell me that they are willing to 
see some of their taxes go toward enforcing health and safety rules so 
that they can be assured that their loved ones will come home from 
their jobs in the mines and other dangerous jobs, so they come home at 
night safe and sound.
  The majority, however, do not see it that way. The Labor-HHS 
appropriation bill makes it clear that the new majority would rather 
invest in a tax break for the wealthy few than in education, training, 
health, and safety for American workers.
  In fact, if this HHS bill passes, they will be showing a triple 
feature down at our local theaters in the near future. It will be 
called ``Dumb and Dumber'' with ``Sick and Sicker'' and ``Poor and 
Poorer.'' And let me say to my colleagues, it is not going to be a 
bargain matinee. No doubt about it. This sweeping and radical 
legislation is going to harm American workers and cost this Nation 
dearly in the long run.
  Mr. Speaker, like I said earlier, the faults of this bill are much 
too numerous to mention. I urge all Americans who care about the health 
and safety and the education and training of workers and for all of 
their loved ones to tell their representatives to oppose this dangerous 
bill.


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