[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 90 (Thursday, June 30, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1407]
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. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    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. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to state for the 
record, that although I will not be able to vote on final passage of 
H.R. 3010, I oppose this bill. As many of you are well aware because of 
actions recommended in your own districts, the BRAC Commission is in 
the process of holding regional hearings throughout the country. They 
are holding a hearing on closure of Cannon Air Force Base, located in 
my district, tomorrow, Friday June 24th, and I will be in attendance 
with the entire New Mexico delegation to show our support for keeping 
Cannon open.
  With that said Mr. Chairman, I do appreciate the difficult 
constraints under which Mr. Regula and Mr. Obey had to work in crafting 
this important spending bill, and I certainly commend them for the 
work. Unfortunately, because this appropriations bill implements the 
budget resolution that I opposed, but that Congress passed, it does not 
give enough funding for many important services of the Federal 
Government. Services that have real implications for real people 
throughout New Mexico and the Nation.
  As Mr. Obey pointed out in his opening remarks, last year's Labor/H 
bill funded the programs at $3.5 billion above the previous year. This 
year, however, on a program-to-program basis, the bill cuts $1.6 
billion. Programs such as the Community Access Program, which received 
$83 million last year, are devastated in this year's bill. The 
Community Access Program has been utilized by several organizations in 
New Mexico to provide better integrated systems of care for uninsured 
and underinsured, but receives no funding under H.R. 3010.
  Also, H.R. 3010 cuts funding for rural health care and emergency 
medical services by $44 million, or 41 percent. That does not take into 
account the cuts to the Health Professions Training Program, which is 
also an important program for rural and underserved areas in New 
Mexico. The Health Professions program encourages new medical and 
dental school graduates to choose primary care specialties and to 
practice in rural and urban under-served areas. H.R. 3010 cuts funding 
for this program by $252 million, or by 84 percent.
  Another program that I believe is of great importance is the 
Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant. Earlier this year I 
sent a letter, joined by 70 of my colleagues from both sides of the 
aisle, urging the appropriations committee to provide funding for this 
program. The President unfortunately requested zero funding for it in 
his budget request, so I am pleased that the Chairman and Ranking 
Member included $100 million in H.R. 3010. I do hope, however, that the 
Senate will provide a greater level of funding that will be ultimately 
retained in the conference report.
  I also would like to highlight, as many others have done today, the 
$100 million cut to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This 
figure represents a 25 percent cut over FY05 levels for CPB, and I hope 
that Mr. Obey's amendment to restore this funding passes. Again, though 
I will not be able to vote on this amendment, I strongly support its 
passage.
  I also support the amendment that will be offered by Mr. Miller to 
deny funds in H.R. 3010 for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 
(PBGC). The PBGC just today published official notice in the Washington 
Post that it would be terminating the pension plan of United Airlines 
Flight Attendants next week. This termination--and the terminations of 
the rest of the United Airlines pension plans for pilots, flight 
attendants, mechanics, public contact employees and others--is unfair. 
It is the result of a backroom deal struck between the PBGC and United 
Airlines to terminate the company's pension plans and dump the 
liabilities onto the PBGC. The PBGC should not be allowed to go forward 
with this plan, and the Miller amendment will ensure that it does not.
  Mr. Chairman, I have just highlighted a few of the issues important 
to my constituents and me. I did not touch on the key education 
programs that are shortchanged under H.R. 3010, nor did I address the 
worker training, labor, and human services programs that are 
shortchanged under this legislation. The list is too lengthy for me to 
do so. What it does all add up to, however, is a bill that does not 
represent the values of me, or my constituents. And for that reason, 
were I to be here tomorrow, I would vote ``no'' on final passage of 
H.R. 3010. 

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