[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 30, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H6300]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DEMOCRATS DESERVE CREDIT

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, Democrats and Republicans have reached a 
historic balanced budget deal, and this morning I want to congratulate 
my Democratic colleagues and the White House for standing firm in 
defense of what we knew was right. There is no doubt that Democrats are 
responsible for the inclusion of some of the budget deal's most 
important provisions.
  As a result of the Democrats efforts, the Federal budget will have 
$24 billion to provide health care for at least 5 million children who 
would otherwise have been uninsured. It will have a $500 per child tax 
credit for many families with incomes under $30,000, thereby covering 
13 million more children than would have been the case under the GOP 
plan.
  It will have education tax credits including the President's HOPE 
Scholarship Program that would have been denied to many students 
pursuant to the Republican proposals.
  Mr. Speaker, the Republicans clearly felt the pressure from the White 
House and the congressional Democrats in the final days of the budget 
negotiations. Indeed as a result of our defense of what is right, we 
now have a budget that will benefit the average working American 
instead of just the rich one.

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