[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 128 (Thursday, August 3, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1604]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



[[Page E 1604]]


  DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1996

                                 ______


                               speech of

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 2, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2127) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
     Services, and Education, and related agencies, for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 1996, and for other purposes:

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2127, 
making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education, as well as several Related Agencies.
  Mr. Chairman, traditionally, the Labor-HHS-Education bill has been 
one of the most important bills before Congress each year. It funds 
programs that are key to the Nation's well-being: health, education, 
social and employment services that touch every person in the United 
States and provide the means for all of us to live healthier and more 
productive lives.
  That is why this bill, this year, is such a tragic mistake. Its 
initial problem was the misguided priorities the Appropriations 
Committee used in allocating spending authority among the 
subcommittees. A grater problem is the equally misguided priorities 
used in writing the bill.
  No amount of tinkering will make H.R. 2127 livable, Mr. Chairman; the 
Appropriations Committee should simply tear it down and rebuild it from 
the ground up.
  In many ways, H.R. 2127 is a 180-degree turn from the priorities in 
last year's bill, in which, even within tight budgetary limits, we were 
able to strengthen the Nation's investment in our youngest children by 
increasing funding for Head Start and Healthy Start.
  We were able to increase funding for title I, our country's primary 
mechanism for assisting disadvantaged children, and continue to fund 
Pell grants and Federal students loans, strengthening our commitment to 
access to higher education regardless of one's ability to pay.
  We were able to strengthen our ability to save lives and improve 
health with increases for critical public health, health research, and 
health care programs.
  We were able to increase funds for key employment and training 
programs.
  H.R. 2127 is in sharp contrast to those priorities.
  It cuts Head Start--cuts Head Start, Mr. Chairman--and whacks 50 
percent out of Healthy Start.
  It guts spending for title I and for bilingual and migrant education, 
and totally eliminates funding for Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Dropout 
Prevention, vital literacy programs, and Goals 2000, President 
Clinton's ambitious plan to prepare our children for the 21st century.
  Minor increases in certain health spending come at the expense of an 
important family planning program and both the Office of the Assistant 
Secretary of Health and the Office of the Surgeon General, all of which 
are eliminated under this bill.
  It slashes key employment and training programs and kills the summer 
youth program.
  Just as hundreds of unfortunate people have died in the nationwide 
heat wave, it kills the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
  And so far, Mr. Chairman, I have referred only to the funding 
priorities in this bill.
  The limitations and legislative provisions in H.R. 2127 are far-
reaching meddling in issues under the jurisdiction of authorizing 
committees.
  Among other things, they threaten the health and safety of women, the 
safety and rights of working people, and the ability of Federal 
grantees to share their expertise with or represent the needs of their 
members and clients before policymakers.
  Mr. Chairman, this cruel bill makes victims of the most vulnerable 
people in our Nation, our children, our seniors, our minorities, even 
our increasingly beleaguered working people.
  There is just no reason to support such a mean-spirited bill. I urge 
my colleagues simply to vote it down and let the Appropriations 
Committee try again to produce a new bill that will deserve the support 
of the House.


                          ____________________