[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 88 (Tuesday, June 28, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1374]
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, 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. AL GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 2005

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3010) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
     Services, and Education, and Related Agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes:

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, nearly 70 years ago, Franklin 
Delano Roosevelt stated in his second inaugural address that ``the test 
of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those 
who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too 
little.'' The FY06 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriation bill 
has failed that test.
  Although I commend Chairman Regula and Mr. Obey, our ranking member, 
for their tireless efforts to provide deserving citizens with necessary 
programs, this bill is a product of having too little to fund valuable 
initiatives. The tax cuts enjoyed by the wealthiest 1 percent of our 
population have left this Congress unable to continue funding essential 
programs that directly impact the least, the last, and the lost. The 
cuts in education, energy assistance, and healthcare services are signs 
of what I believe are an unraveling of our economic tapestry.
  Our youngest and most vulnerable citizens will be disproportionately 
affected by Federal fiscal budget constraints in this Labor, Health and 
Human Services bill. Even at birth, this bill is putting some at a 
disadvantage. The Maternal and Child Health Block grant program has 
been cut even though scientific evidence proves the importance of 
prenatal care. Despite the fact that we recognize the need to provide 
access to care for young people whose families are unable to provide 
other sources of treatment, this valuable program has suffered a $24 
million cut.
  Beyond health care, our most vulnerable citizens will continue to 
bear the brunt of enormous tax cuts in education. Title I funding, 
aimed at helping low-income children in failing schools improve their 
reading and math skills, will be $9.9 billion below the No Child Left 
Behind funding promise. And to make matters worse, the same children 
who will be unable to benefit from enrichment programs due to a lack of 
funds will go home in the winter months to cold and uncomfortable 
temperatures because the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program has 
been cut by almost $200 million.
  It is time to take a step back to re-evaluate the path we have chosen 
for the people of this Nation. I will continue to work tirelessly with 
my colleagues, community partners, and concerned citizens to ensure 
that all people are able to receive excellent care at an affordable 
rate--because one must not place a price tag on the health and well-
being of our nation's most vulnerable citizens, our children. I would 
like to leave you all with some other valuable words that Mr. Roosevelt 
imparted to us: ``It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it 
fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all try something.'' 
I urge all of my colleagues to try another method.

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