[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 103 (Friday, July 12, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1279-E1280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1997

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                               speech of

                             HON. VIC FAZIO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 11, 1996

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3755) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
     Services, and Education, and related agencies, for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 1997, and for other purposes:

  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to oppose the 
funding measure before us. While Chairman Porter and the other members 
of the subcommittee have worked to

[[Page E1280]]

produce a bill that is much better than last year's legislation; I 
believe that it still falls short of the important needs of our 
children and schools.
  Let me first commend the efforts of the subcommittee for their 
efforts in the field of health research. Given the many funding 
restrictions, I am pleased that the National Institutes of Health have 
received an increase of 6.9 percent. NIH is the world's leading 
biomedical research institution and funding such research is today's 
investment in America's future.
  However, I am troubled by the cuts the bill makes to the education 
budget. These cuts fall below the level necessary to keep up with 
inflation and projected future growth. Moreover, such decreases would 
result in a total cut to education programs of 7 percent below the 
fiscal year 1995 levels at the same time that school enrollment is 
projected to increase by 7 percent. Similarly, Perkins loans and State 
student incentive grants are eliminated, affecting over 220,000 college 
students. Goals 2000 education reform and Eisenhower teacher training 
grants are also eliminated.
  The bill provides $475 million less for title I funding than the 
president requested; $307 million less for special education; and $729 
million less for student financial assistance. Funding for Safe and 
Drug Free Schools is cut $25 million below last year's level, and 
billingual education is cut $11 million below last year's amount.
  These proposed cuts in education funding run the risk of creating a 
real crisis in education for the Nation's children. State and local 
governments already face difficult challenges in educating our children 
given the growing demands placed on schools at a time of constrained 
budgets and aging facilities.
  I believe that these cuts are dangerously short-sighted. Funding 
education programs and initiatives should be one of the top priorities 
in creating a better future, both for the Nation and for individual 
families everywhere. Indeed, a better educated citizenry and workforce 
are critical to competing in the changing global economy and in 
maintaining a strong democracy.
  In addition to the cuts in education, the bill also contains 
unnecessarily harsh cuts in programs needed to enforce labor, wage, and 
health standards for American workers. For example, the bill provides 
$43 million less than the President requested for OSHA, and $46 million 
less for enforcement of employment standards, including wage and hour 
standards. Funds for the National Labor Relations Board are cut $25 
million or 15 percent below last year's level.
  The American worker has been under attack since the first day of this 
Congress. These men and women are the engine of our economy and they 
deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. They also deserve a 
safe workplace. I am very pleased that the amendment offered by my 
colleague from California, Mrs. Pelosi, was accepted by the House. This 
important amendment deleted a rider that would have banned OSHA from 
protecting workers from musculoskeletal disorders, which represent 
America's fastest growing workplace health problem. In spite of our 
budget constraints, we must not retreat from worker protection laws 
that have benefited thousands of American workers.
  As I stated at the outset, this bill is much improved over last 
year's Labor-HHS bill. However, critical funding deficiencies remain 
and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.

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