[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 194 (Tuesday, December 18, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H16651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     THE FINAL OMNIBUS BILL IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER THE 
                       PRESIDENT'S BUDGET REQUEST

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of this year, the 
Democratic Congress proposed a 2008 budget that was both fiscally 
responsible and reinvested in long-forgotten domestic priorities. All 
year President Bush has stubbornly said that he will not sign any 
appropriations bill that was higher than his budget request. So after 
months of working with our Republican colleagues, we approved an 
omnibus spending bill last night that fits into the President's funding 
levels, but addresses important Democratic priorities.
  At a time when crime rates are increasing all around our country, we 
invest $1.2 billion over the President's budget to help local 
communities make their neighborhoods safer. At a time when significant 
infrastructure improvements are needed to prevent more bridges from 
collapsing, we invest $1 billion to make our bridges safer. And as 
Americans continue to pay record prices at the pump, we invest an 
additional $486 million in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
  Mr. Speaker, this final omnibus bill invests in critical priorities 
that were ignored in the President's budget.

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