[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 30, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H1714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TALE OF TWO BUDGETS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, the House is on the verge of passing a $2.3 
trillion budget with a $521 billion deficit, showing that it is 
impossible to finance three wars with three tax cuts and come up with a 
different result outside of a $521 billion hole in the budget.
  This budget repeats the same mistakes that have resulted in a jobless 
economy and a wage recession in America. It continues the status quo of 
the administration's economic policies that have resulted in nearly 3 
million Americans losing their jobs, 43 million Americans without 
health care, of which 33 million Americans work but have no health 
care, and 2 million Americans who used to be part of the middle-class 
and now are in the level of poverty, and wages are frozen, and $1 
trillion worth of corporate assets and individual net worth have been 
called into bankruptcies.
  What do you do when have you this type of economic results? You think 
you would change your economic policies. No. This budget puts your foot 
on the accelerator, expecting a different result but repeating the same 
economic mismanagement.
  During the 2000 election, President Bush said he was opposed to 
nation-building. Who knew it was America he was talking about? This 
budget and the President's economic vision is really a tale of two 
budgets: one for America, and one for Iraq.
  We have spent well over $100 billion of the taxpayers' money on 
Iraq's occupation. But here in America, we have gotten shortchanged. 
What do I mean by that?
  In Iraq, we are offering universal health care and free job training. 
In America, 44 million Americans are without health care; and nearly 
8.2 million Americans are without jobs.
  In the area of health care, 2,200 Iraqis are receiving and health 
professionals are receiving training, 8,000 volunteers are receiving 
medical training; and in America, under the President's budget, the 
health training funds cut by 64 percent.
  One hundred and fifty health clinics and hospitals have been rebuilt 
to serve 3 million Iraqis, providing 100 percent prenatal and infant 
coverage. In America, under the President's budget, community health 
care clinics have been cut by 91 percent. Maternal and child health 
care, Healthy Start, family planning, all frozen.
  Veterans, $60 million is spent to retrain Iraqi veterans; and our 
veterans budget has been gutted by $257 million. Veterans health care 
has been cut to where every veterans organization has opposed the 
President's budget and the budget passed here by the Republicans.
  In the area of education, we have rebuilt 2,300 schools in Iraq. We 
have underfunded No Child Left Behind by $8 billion.
  Iraqi universities are getting $20 million for higher ed 
partnerships. In America, we have cut Perkins loans; and Pell Grants 
have been frozen for the last 3 years.
  Police. $500 million is spent on the Iraqi police training, but the 
community police program in the United States has been cut by $659 
million.
  In the area of housing, $470 million is spent on Iraqi housing, yet 
$791 million is cut from section 8 housing vouchers.
  In the area of environment, we are paying for $3.6 billion in water 
and sewer treatment facilities in Iraq. Here in America, in the 
President's budget, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which deals 
with all our clean water and drinking water for Americans, has been cut 
by $500 million.
  Ports infrastructure. The Port of Umm Qasar was completely rebuilt, 
and yet the Army Corps of Engineers cannot afford U.S. port security 
upgrades since their budget has been cut by 63 percent.
  As President Bush seeks reelection, he can say he kept his commitment 
against nation-building. The problem is the target was America.
  This is a tale of two budgets, one for America and one for Iraq; two 
priorities, one for America and one for Iraq; two sets of values, one 
for America, one for Iraq; and two sets of books, one for Iraq, one for 
America.
  I have no problem investing in Iraq's future, but that future cannot 
be a more promising future than the one we promise here for our own 
children. Compared to how Americans view their futures, we cannot deny 
Americans the same dreams of affordable health care, education, police 
on the street, a safe place to live and job training.
  America will no longer be the most generous nation in the world if 
the future they promise their children is one that is less promising 
than one we are talking about overseas.
  Now if your economic results here at home were nearly 3 million 
Americans have lost their jobs, nearly $3 trillion has been added to 
the Nation's deficit in 3 years of budget, you would think you would 
change your economic policies. No. So what we will do is put our foot 
on the accelerator and press forward try and expect a different result, 
having tried 3 years in a row and producing the same result. We need a 
change and a new direction of the budget values and America's future.

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