[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 140 (Thursday, October 1, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      MOTION TO GO TO CONFERENCE ON H.R. 2918, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010

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                               speech of

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 23, 2009

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I strongly support many provisions in 
H.R. 2918, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2009, including 
funding for the Census Bureau, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Government 
Accountability Office, GAO, and the Ryan White AIDS Program. I cannot, 
however, support the inclusion of approximately $10.8 billion in war 
funding and as such, I oppose the bill.
  As an ardent supporter of the U.S. Postal Service, USPS, I commend 
the inclusion of provisions in this bill that would reduce the amount 
USPS must contribute to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund 
to $1.5 million from $5.4 million, ensuring its survival through the 
end of this month. Congress has a responsibility to the communities it 
represents to ensure that the USPS and the irreplaceable services it 
provides as a universal mail delivery service are maintained.
  This legislation appropriately increases the funding for the U.S. 
Census Bureau to $7.1 billion to ensure that the agency can meet the 
demands of the upcoming census in 2010. The census is vital in 
fulfilling our Constitutional duties under Article 1, Section 2, which 
are intended to ensure that the people have equal representation in 
government at the state and federal level. I also fully support the 
provisions in this bill providing $328 million for the dedicated men 
and women of the U.S. Capitol Police and $572 million for the GAO.
  I strongly oppose the inclusion of funding for the wars in Iraq and 
Afghanistan in this bill. The war in Iraq was based on false 
intelligence and an inaccurate, government sponsored, propaganda 
campaign. This body was given a mandate by the American people in 2006 
to get out of Iraq. Congress has the ability, through the power of the 
purse, to end the occupation of Iraq and bring all troops and 
contractors home immediately. Failure to do so continues to put our 
brave and honorable troops in harm's way.
  I also oppose dedicating more resources to Afghanistan. The people of 
Afghanistan are suffering horribly from 8 years of war. During that 
time, the Afghan central government has become increasingly corrupt and 
has failed to meet the needs of the Afghan people.
  Violence in Afghanistan continues to grow. The United Nations General 
Assembly Security Council reports ``an average of 898 incidents in the 
first seven months of 2009, compared to 677 during the same time frame 
in 2008. Incidents involving improvised explosive devices have risen 
dramatically, to an average of more than eight per day, 60 per cent 
higher than the average during the first seven months of 2008. Complex 
attacks now average one per month compared to one per quarter in 
2008.'' This past August was reported to be the ``deadliest month since 
the beginning of 2009.''
  I am also dismayed by the inclusion of language that unilaterally 
bars all funding for Association of Community Organizations for Reform 
Now, ACORN. I have serious concerns that such language constitutes a 
bill of attainder. The Constitution expressly prohibits Congress from 
legislatively punishing an individual or specific class of people, and 
I believe that this action is an effort to circumvent the protection 
that the Constitution affords to all people and organizations. This 
country has a robust judicial system that has been created precisely 
for this purpose; we ought to let it do its job. If a crime has been 
committed, we should prosecute the people who have committed that 
crime.
  Congress and the American public simply will not tolerate an open-
ended commitment of money and troops while millions of Americans are 
losing their health care, their homes, their jobs, their pensions, 
their investments. I support the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill 
by itself. I cannot support it when it is used as a vehicle for 
perpetuating the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

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