[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 157 (Wednesday, October 17, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11644-H11645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SPENDING FOR CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE VERSUS SPENDING IN IRAQ--A QUESTION 
                             OF PRIORITIES

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, President Bush and congressional Republicans 
have no problem writing blank checks

[[Page H11645]]

for the war in Iraq, but ask them to prioritize the health care needs 
for 10 million low-income children, and they can't be bothered. Every 
month, every month we are spending $9 billion in Iraq that is borrowed 
from our children, because the President has always demanded that 
funding for the Iraq war be classified as emergency spending and, 
therefore, not subject to the pay-as-you-go rules.
  Three-and-a-half months of Iraq war funding equals the funding needed 
to extend health care coverage to 10 million children over the next 5 
years. Unlike the war, our children's health is fully paid for with 
absolutely no deficit spending; yet President Bush vetoed this 
bipartisan compromise because he said it included excessive spending.
  Mr. Speaker, House Republicans need to show the President that there 
are other priorities in our Nation besides the never-ending war in 
Iraq. They should send that message by joining us tomorrow in 
overriding the President's veto and caring about our Nation's children.

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