[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14321-14322]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          PUTTING THE PRIVILEGED FEW AHEAD OF WORKING FAMILIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, hardworking families need a break more than 
anyone in this country, especially since they are bearing the brunt of 
this very weak economy. But, for some reason, the Republican leadership 
feels that the privileged few are more important than the 12 million 
children who

[[Page 14322]]

are left out of the Republican tax cut. That is just plain wrong.
  Voices across the Nation are speaking out, and they are speaking out 
loudly, and in overwhelming numbers they are in support of increasing 
the child tax credit and making it permanent, especially for those 12 
million children who were left out of the recent tax package.

                              {time}  2015

  That is why President Bush is finally urging the House to follow suit 
with the other body so he can sign legislation that will restore tax 
credits for lower income families and put this bad and actually 
embarrassing decision behind him. Why is the Republican leadership 
dragging their feet here in the House when we can help American 
families now?
  Well, Mr. Speaker, I know it is important that we swiftly extend the 
child tax credit to lower-income families. It should not, however, be 
part of another broad package that extends even more benefits to the 
wealthy.
  We must pass a clean bill, a bill that solves the injustice that has 
been done to these hard-working families. Our priority should be the 12 
million forgotten children, not more tax breaks for the rich.
  Mr. Speaker, how am I supposed to go back to my district and tell a 
mother from Santa Rosa, California, located in the 6th Congressional 
district of California that I represent, just north of San Francisco 
across the Golden Gate Bridge, tell her that according to the House 
Republican leadership that her job at Head Start does not contribute 
enough into the tax system to deserve an increase through the child tax 
credit? This mother, whose name is Cori, is the head of one of the 6.5 
million families that pays Federal, State, and local taxes; yet she has 
been left out of the recent increase to the child tax credit. Cori 
overcame the obstacles of being a single parent. She did it without a 
support system and she did it with very little money. After turning to 
the Head Start program for help, she went back to school and became a 
Head Start teacher to give back to the program that she thought and 
felt and knew saved her.
  How do I explain to Cori that her hard work is not worth rewarding, 
that she does not give enough to the system to deserve a break? I ask 
my colleagues on the other side of the aisle where is the compassion 
for Cori and her children?
  It is time that we help working families like Cori so they can 
balance their responsibilities of earning a living and meeting family 
demands. Our priority today should be expanding the child tax credit 
for lower-income families. Passing it can be the first step in 
reversing a very serious wrong.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to restore compassion to our Nation's 
families, rather than our Nation's millionaires. American families need 
to know we have not forgotten them. The 12 million children that have 
been ignored by the Republican leadership need to know that they are 
important.
  I demand that the Republican leadership in the House act now and 
extend the child tax credit to those who need it the most: our 
children. Our children, 25 percent of our Nation, 100 percent of our 
future.

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