[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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