[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONSEQUENCES OF THE REPUBLICAN CONTINUING RESOLUTION
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
Ohio (Ms. Fudge) for 5 minutes.
Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, Republicans have introduced an
irresponsible and dangerous spending bill that cuts jobs, threatens
American innovation, and diminishes investments in rebuilding America.
Republicans only want to offer Americans a pink slip. We all want to
find an appropriate way to reduce our deficit, but this certainly is
not the way.
Republicans have proposed a resolution that will not decrease the
deficit, but that will add $5 trillion to the deficit through tax cuts
for the wealthiest Americans, unlimited war funding, and the repeal of
the health care legislation. They have not presented a serious plan for
actually addressing the deficit.
The irresponsible impact of Republican spending in education:
Democrats are going to fight with everything we have to ensure that the
next generation of students is prepared to become the educated
workforce of tomorrow. But the Republicans believe that it is okay that
more than 200,000 children will be kicked out of Head Start.
{time} 1040
The Republicans believe that thousands of teachers should lose their
jobs. The Republicans believe that Pell Grant recipients should lose
$800 worth of financial support to pursue their educations.
In the area of innovation, America's competitiveness depends on our
ability to innovate and keep America number one. Republicans believe
that there should be 20,000 fewer researchers supported at the National
Science Foundation. They believe that there should be a $1.4 billion
reduction in science and energy research. They believe that there
should be $2.5 billion in cuts to the National Institutes of Health,
representing a significant setback in cancer and other diseases and
research in general, which will especially hit hard the district I
represent.
If we're talking about rebuilding America, Democrats support key
investments in roads, schools, bridges that are critical for businesses
to grow and that create good-paying American jobs. Republicans would
rescind more than $2.5 billion for high-speed rail projects that have
already been awarded. That would allow the loss of more than 25,000 new
construction jobs and the cancellation of 76 projects in 40 States.
Republicans would cut $234 million designed to improve our Nation's air
traffic control system.
And as it relates to public safety, one of the most important things
that a government does provide, we are here to take care of our people.
We are to provide safety. The Republicans propose that more than 1,300
fewer cops should be on the streets because they are going to eliminate
the COPS grants. And they would have 2,400 fewer firefighters on the
job because they are going to eliminate funding for SAFER grants.
As President Obama said, we must out-innovate, out-educate, and out-
build the rest of the world. Let's invest in America. Let us reject the
Republican CR.
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