[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 77 (Thursday, May 30, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H5738-H5739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2215
         THE 1997 REPUBLICAN BUDGET: THE STAND AGAINST CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ney). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from California [Mr. Filner] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, this coming Saturday, June 1, thousands of 
families, schools, churches, synagogues, and other organizations will 
gather at the Lincoln Memorial for what is aptly being called the Stand 
for Children. Stand for Children is a national day of commitment to 
children that has been convened by the Children's Defense Fund and 
endorsed by more than 3,000 national, State, and local organizations.

[[Page H5739]]

  From my hometown of San Diego, CA, alone more than 120 people 
organized by the Children's Advocacy Institute at the University of San 
Diego will be attending this event.
  The Stand for Children will address the critical issues facing 
America's children, including drugs, violence, and poverty.
  Ironically, children in America are also under attack by the very 
institution that should be protecting them from these evils, the 
U.S. Congress. This 104th Congress is waging a stand against children.

  The Republican majority, with the so-called pro-family agenda, has 
pretended to extend its protective hand toward America's youth, when in 
reality it has not given our children a fair shake. This majority has 
voted repeatedly to slash funding for children's programs, including 
education, student loans, child nutrition, health care for children, 
child protection services such as foster care, and aid for disabled 
children.
  This agenda threatens not only the education and well-being of our 
Nation's children, it puts the future of America at risk. If our 
children do not receive a quality education, proper nutrition, and a 
nurtured upbringing, then American businesses will not be able to 
compete in the global economy.
  Congressional Democrats have worked with President Clinton to fend 
off the onslaught of these cuts. This year we successfully restored 
most of the education cuts proposed by Republicans in their 1996 
budget, and the President vetoed many damaging cuts in children's 
programs contained in the so-called welfare reform and budget 
reconciliation pills.
  I would have hoped that Republicans learned a lesson from their 
failure to cut children's programs in this year's budget but, sadly, 
they have not. Their proposal for fiscal year 1997 would cut many of 
the same programs that were on the chopping block last year. This month 
221 House Republicans voted for the 1997 budget resolution which would 
cut funding for education and training programs by 22 percent over the 
next 6 years.
  Here are the specifics of what the majority whip called the pro-
choice or the pro-education or the pro-child Congress:
  A 6-year freeze in title I funding for aid to local schools, 
resulting in a 20 percent cut by the year 2002.
  A 6-year freeze for Head Start, resulting in a 20 percent cut by 
2002.
  Elimination of the Goals 2000 public schools reform which currently 
helps 5 million students in more than 8,000 schools across the country 
raise their academic achievement.
  Their proposal eliminates all Federal funding for bilingual and 
immigrant education.
  It eliminates new funding for Perkins student loans which provide 
low-interest financial assistance to thousands of college students, and 
eliminates the direct loan program which helps 2.5 million students 
receive college loans more quickly and less expensively than 
traditional loans.
  It eliminates AmeriCorps, the national service program that gives 
200,000 young people the chance to serve their communities while 
earning money for college.
  And it cuts 20 percent in funding for our Nation's libraries.
  This is what the gentleman from Texas [Mr. DeLay] called the pro-
children's Congress. Republican cuts in other programs would also 
threaten the well-being of our children.
  By cutting Medicaid by $72 billion over 6 years, they jeopardize the 
Federal guarantee of coverage to thousands of low-income children. And 
by allowing the wealthy to opt out of the health care system through 
the use of medical savings accounts, they risk causing a further 
decline in coverage and services for poor families and children.
  The Republican budget would also cut spending for school lunches, 
foster care, aid to disabled children and youth crime prevention 
programs.
  It is time for Republicans to realize that the American people will 
not tolerate massive, irresponsible cuts that failed earlier this year. 
Our children deserve better. We must give our children the assistance 
and support they need for a successful future.
  Mr. Speaker, let us all stand for children.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. FILNER. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.
  Mr. VENTO. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to commend him 
for his statement. I also want to point out that under the rubric of 
welfare reform the Republican proposals cut SSI, programs that go to 
children with various types of disabilities such as cystic fibrosis and 
multiple sclerosis, actually cutting those benefits by 25 percent. This 
is all under the rubric of welfare reform.
  This welfare reform is a good bumper sticker slogan, but when we peel 
off that bumper sticker and look at what is behind it, we have got cuts 
in school lunches, we have got cuts in terms of various types of 
nutrition programs. We have got cuts in terms of child care. This, mind 
you, all under the rubric of welfare reform.
  Of course under welfare reform we all know the proposals that have 
been put forth for a teenage parent that has another child. That child 
would get no support. Some help in terms of a child-friendly Congress, 
taking it out on the child that is born to a teenage mother.
  Mr. FILNER. Let us all, again, stand for children.

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