[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 41 (Thursday, March 17, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ADDITIONAL CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS AMENDMENTS, 2011

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                               speech of

                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 15, 2011

  Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, we all agree that we must get our fiscal 
house in order, which is why Democrats sought to cut more than $40 
billion from the President's 2011 budget request in December. We must 
evaluate every program and determine whether it merits taxpayer 
funding.
  I have significant reservations about some of the cuts included in 
H.J. Res. 48, particularly eliminating funding for the Public 
Telecommunications Facilities Program, which was created nearly 50 
years ago and is the only source of ongoing infrastructure assistance 
for public broadcasting stations. Its competitive grants require a 
local match, resulting in a successful public-private partnership, and 
it is the only source of emergency funding for stations with facilities 
devastated by disasters. Funding has already been cut by more than half 
since 2004, and it is a mistake to eliminate it.
  Instead of continuing their quest to dismantle public broadcasting, 
the authors of the bill should have found savings by ending taxpayer-
funded subsidies to large oil companies, which fleece taxpayers of tens 
of billions of dollars.
  However, while I may not support every cut, it is imperative that 
Congress do everything it can, and reach common ground whenever 
possible, to avoid a government shutdown. We cannot allow for the 
possibility of seniors going without Social Security checks or veterans 
losing access to the health benefits they have earned.
  The 7-month continuing resolution the House passed in February is a 
dangerous bill that would create not a single job, hurt federal 
programs essential to economic growth, and compromise our security. 
With no better options, we must adopt this short-term continuing 
resolution to keep the government operating while we negotiate spending 
for the remainder of the fiscal year that will continue economic 
growth.

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