[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 130 (Saturday, August 5, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1653-E1654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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

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                               speech of

                          HON. BILL RICHARDSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 2, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union and under consideration the bill (H.R. 2127 making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Labor, 

[[Page E1654]]
     Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies, for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 1996, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chairman, there is no a way to vote for this 
amendment and claim that you are in favor of public broadcasting.
  Public broadcasting has the overwhelming support of the America 
people. In fact a recent Roper poll placed public television third on a 
list of excellent values for tax dollars.
  Funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are forward funded 
so stations can raise the matching funds that are required in order to 
receive matching grants.
  Forward funding has no bearing on how much the CPB is funded. Even 
with forward funding intact CPB's 1996 appropriation was reduced by $37 
million. That is an 11 percent cut from original funding.
  I understand that in times of tight Federal budgets, each program 
must be willing to take some cuts and the CPB has taken its share. May 
I remind my colleagues that public broadcasting stations have already 
taken a 25 percent or $92 million cut. Public television stations have 
implemented many cost-saving initiatives in order to tighten their 
belts during these fiscally tough times.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose the Hoekstra amendment.
  

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