[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 20, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H2927-H2928]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             BUDGET NEEDS TO REFLECT DEMOCRATIC PRIORITIES

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, today Congress will likely vote in favor 
of a historic balanced budget proposal and at the same time we as 
Democrats must not forget that this is merely an outline, a road map, 
that gives general spending guidelines. Many of the details still need 
to be worked out, and that is basically where my concern lies this 
morning.
  While President Clinton and Republican leaders have articulated a 
general agreement on the budget, I am very leery of the Republican 
leadership's true priorities. A recent memorandum dated May 16 from 
Speaker Gingrich's office emphasizes that ``there is not a limit on the 
size of the capital gains and estate tax relief'' in the budget 
resolution. The Republican leadership has consistently made tax cuts 
for the wealthy a cornerstone on any budget agreement, and I believe 
that once we pass this resolution Republicans will attempt to do this 
again.
  Democrats have consistently indicated support for a balanced budget 
agreement, but one that benefits the average American family, and we 
will be vigilant in protecting the family first priorities that are 
paramount in any budget agreement.
  Now after Congress passes the budget resolution this week, the real 
process of determining fiscal priorities will begin. Democrats stand 
ready to roll up our sleeves and ensure that our priorities; that is, 
education, health care, and the environment, are worked into the final 
details. I mention this because last year the Republicans are on record 
for voting to cut education spending, gut Medicaid, and cripple 
environmental protection and enforcement, and this year it is really 
unknown what the Republican leadership will produce by way of details 
on many of these budget questions.
  Madam Speaker, Democrats will fight to make sure that the Republicans 
stay true to their word in providing $35 billion in tax cuts for 
education initiatives. These initiatives are but a small investment to 
ensure America's competitive edge into the future. At the same time, 
the additional moneys for increased Pell grants and HOPE scholarships 
will benefit those Americans who want to better themselves and remain 
productive citizens in our society.
  The Democratic education proposal is an important part of this budget 
agreement, and it must remain intact throughout the long process to 
ensure my support and the support of my Democratic colleagues.
  In addition to the Democratic education initiatives, it is equally 
important that the money set-aside for children's health care coverage 
be used for just that, the expansion of children's health care coverage 
for approximately 10 million uninsured children.
  Now Democrats again have worked hard to get children's health care 
moneys into the budget since last summer. In January of this year I 
authored a letter with 32 of my Democratic colleagues to President 
Clinton urging that funding for children's health care should be a 
cornerstone of any budget reconciliation. Today's budget agreement 
appears to include approximately $16 billion to expand children's 
coverage, and Democrats remain committed to ensuring that these moneys 
truly benefit families with uninsured children.
  We as Democrats have a task force on kids' health care, and we have 
worked out a proposal that we think can be used to implement this $16 
billion budget package. Our plan is to build on three prongs, 
strengthening the Medicaid Program for lower income children, providing 
matching grants to the States targeted to children and working families 
who are uninsured and require private, and the third point, I should 
say, is to require private insurance reforms to benefit children and 
families of all incomes.
  We believe that with this pot of money in the budget, if we implement 
this 3-pronged approach, we can actually cover most, if not all, of the 
10 million children that are now currently uninsured, and it is a very 
reasonable approach within the confines of the budget.
  Again, as with the education investment, Democrats will find it 
difficult to support any budget that does not provide families with 
assistance to provide health care for their children and

[[Page H2928]]

to insure as many of those 10 million children as possible.
  Finally, I also want it to be known to the Republican leadership that 
we need to make sure that environmental protection is a priority in 
this budget. It is very important to give the EPA the tools to ensure 
safe drinking water, clean air, and clean oceans, and I personally will 
fight to keep the commitment to American families for a healthy 
environment.
  Again, Madam Speaker, although I think the problem that I see right 
now, there are already rumblings by the Republican right to increase 
the amount of the tax cuts with further cuts in many of these important 
family first agenda programs, and if the Republican extremists succeed, 
then American families will be the ones who suffer in the end.
  Hopefully, this budget agreement, which I expect to be adopted today, 
will be the beginning of a process that makes sure that the tax cuts in 
the budget are mainly targeted to the average working American, and the 
same is true with the spending priorities, that they help the average 
American family and not just the wealthy.

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