[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 92 (Monday, July 11, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1450]
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. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    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. POMEROY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to say that I will be voting 
for H.R. 3010, the fiscal year 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services, 
Education Appropriations bill with the hope that funding levels in the 
bill will be increased during conference negotiations with the Senate. 
While I support many of the funding provisions in this legislation, I 
also believe that this bill shortchanges important needs in education 
and health care.
  I am deeply alarmed that this funding plan not only continues to 
break the funding promise of the No Child Left Behind Act, NCLB, but it 
actually takes a step backwards. Under this bill, NCLB funding would 
fall $13.2 billion short of what was promised when the law was passed, 
translating to a 3.3 percent decrease from 2005. I am convinced that 
this law's success will depend in part on the investment made in this 
effort.
  Not only does this bill fall short on critical funding for education, 
it also makes damaging cuts to rural health assistance. As co-chair of 
the Rural Health Care Coalition, I am disturbed by two damaging cuts 
that would compromise access to quality care in rural areas. The 
legislation eliminates funding for Rural Health Research Center grant 
programs that analyze how federal policies impact rural providers. In 
addition, the measure cuts funding for Rural Health Outreach grants by 
over 70 percent. Outreach grants are used to develop innovative 
approaches to health problems that are specific to rural communities. 
If these cuts are retained in conference, 146 rural communities will be 
forced to abandon their current outreach projects. I urge the Senate to 
provide full funding to these critical rural programs, and I intend to 
actively support the restoration of these funds in conference.
  This bill does include many provisions that I applaud. I was pleased 
that the Rural Education Achievement Program once again received 
funding to help rural districts manage the No Child Left Behind Act's 
new accountability requirements, but I strongly believe this program 
merits an increase in funding. I was also pleased that this bill 
maintains funding for rural hospital flexibility grants and small 
hospital improvement grants.
  Ultimately, I cast my vote in favor of this legislation in order to 
ensure that the appropriations process could move forward. I remain 
hopeful that the Senate will include higher funding levels for these 
programs and that we can work on a bipartisan basis to develop a 
fiscally responsible funding plan that provides adequate resources to 
strengthen our schools, address our public health needs, and support 
our Nation's workers.

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