[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 94 (Monday, June 9, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. CON. RES. 70, CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE 
                      BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 5, 2008

  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. Con. Res. 
70, the Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report for 2009. I want 
to commend Chairman Spratt for his outstanding work in moving this 
blueprint for fiscal responsibility to fruition.
  This budget is a recipe for fiscal integrity, reaching balance in 
2012 while maintaining a smaller deficit in 2009 and over the next 5 
years as opposed to the Bush Administration proposal. With the adoption 
of this budget resolution, this Congress will reject the misplaced 
priorities of the Administration by restoring funding to vital programs 
for our Nation's citizens.
  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I have 
been an ardent supporter of the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance 
Program, LIHEAP, and I am particularly pleased that this budget takes 
significant and necessary steps to strengthen the safety-net for those 
families most in need, including boosting funding for home energy 
assistance to help millions of low-income families and funding housing 
assistance for low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled.
  I am further pleased that we increase funding to make college more 
affordable, thereby reversing the Administration's underfunding of 
education in our Nation. This budget substantially increases veterans' 
funding, invests in renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives, 
provides funding for green collar jobs, rejects the Administration's 
cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, expands children's health insurance 
coverage and accommodates additional middle class tax relief.
  Mr. Speaker, S. Con Res. 70 will serve as an important guide as we 
set spending priorities for our Nation over the next few years and I am 
pleased to join in support of it.

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