[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 178 (Friday, November 16, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14611-S14612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        LABOR-HHS APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to express my deep disappointment 
in President Bush's decision earlier this week to veto H.R. 3043, the 
fiscal year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, 
Labor-HHS, appropriations bill.
  This bill would have provided an additional $8.2 billion in important 
health, education, and worker protection programs while remaining 
fiscally responsible. The President would have us cut funding from 
programs that help disadvantaged Americans while spending more than $10 
billion monthly in Iraq. What does this say to the American people?
  The President claims he understands the value of education. The 
original intent behind the No Child Left Behind Act, NCLB, was to give 
every child the opportunity for a quality public education while 
holding schools accountable for teaching the skills needed to succeed. 
That is an insightful goal. But not providing adequate funding to 
operate crucial programs has the effect of leaving every child behind. 
The Labor-HHS bill would have provided an additional $1.6 billion for 
NCLB programs, enough funding to provide title I services to 430,000 
more disadvantaged children. The President's budget request provided a 
modest increase but also eliminated funding for school technology, 
school counselors, and arts in education. The spending bill also 
provided $12.3 billion in increased funding for the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act, IDEA. The IDEA Program entitles children 
with disabilities to a public education and provides Federal funds to 
help schools with the cost. The President proposes slashing $291 
million from special education. Further, the President proposes 
reducing Head Start by $100 million, thereby cutting 30,000 slots for 
children. What is this saying to America's children?
  As you are aware, Mr. President, my home State of Maryland is 
fortunate to have many Federal agencies that employ thousands of hard-
working Marylanders. The Social Security Administration, SSA, is 
headquartered there. We are all aware of SSA's resources being 
stretched to the limit. Currently, over three-quarters of a million 
individuals are waiting an average of 523 days for hearing decisions. 
The Labor-HHS bill would have provided the agency with a $125 million 
increase over President Bush's budget request for administrative 
expenses. Funding provided by this bill would have barely scratched the 
surface of the ongoing claim backlog issue but is a step in the right 
direction. The President's decision to veto this bill forces older and 
disabled Americans to wait longer for their Social Security benefits. 
What does this say to America's seniors and disabled population?
  We are also fortunate in my home State to have the National 
Institutes of Health, NIH, headquartered in Bethesda, MD. NIH funds 
significant health research at over 3,000 institutions throughout the 
U.S. and around the world. NIH funding supports research to find cures 
for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, and mental illness. 
These are health concerns that millions of Americans face every day. 
NIH-sponsored research offers hope for medical cures to millions of 
Americans. The bill added $1.1 billion for NIH research as opposed to 
the President's $279 million cut to NIH programs. His veto effectively 
closes the doors on much promising research and medical breakthroughs. 
What does this say to America's chronically ill citizens?

[[Page S14612]]

  My agenda for America is one that values health care and education 
and hard work. Those are American values, and they were on display in 
the bill the President just vetoed. I regret the President's decision, 
and millions of other Americans do, too.

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