[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16229-16230]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               AMERICANS SHOULD COME FIRST IN PRIORITIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Garrett of New Jersey). Under a previous 
order of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I agree with a number of our preceding 
speakers who have talked about the importance of Medicare and why their 
principles and values are different than some of our other colleagues.
  Tonight I would like to address another subject in the closing days 
before our July 4th district work period, and that is a child tax 
credit.
  Mr. Speaker, yesterday the president of Pakistan was here and the 
President of the United States guaranteed $3.5 billion to Pakistan. He 
came in, got a nice reception at Camp David, and flew out with a check 
for $3.5 billion. That is equal to the amount that it would cost to 
provide the 12 million children, 6.5 million working families a full 
$1,000 tax credit in this country; yet they are not receiving it.
  In Pakistan they came in, smiled, shook hands, and walked out with 
$3.5 billion. In America, 12 million American children will be left 
without a tax cut as they go into the summer months. As their parents 
buy clothes and shoes and backpacks for the coming school year, they 
will not have the full $1,000 child credit.
  Two weeks ago, The New York Times reported that we are providing 
200,000 Iraqis $20 a day for no-show jobs. I come from Chicago. We know 
something about no-show jobs. We think we understand no-show jobs. Yet 
while we provide these Iraqis $20 a day, 200,000 of them for the last 2 
months, that comes to about $1,000, we have 200,000 active duty GIs who 
in the Republican tax bill are not provided the full $1,000 tax credit. 
Somehow we have put in this administration and in this Congress more 
priority on the 200,000 no-show Iraqis who are getting $20 a day than 
our active men and women who are getting shot at and could lose their 
lives. They deserve a tax cut.
  I noted the other day in our commitment to Iraq for reconstruction, 
we committed to 20,000 units of housing reconstruction; and yet here in 
America under the President's budget, there

[[Page 16230]]

are only 5,000 units of public housing. We committed to 13 million 
Iraqis getting universal health care, half the population, yet not a 
dime for America for the uninsured who work full time. We committed to 
rebuilding 12,500 schools in Iraq, yet in many of our schools across 
this country, there are no dollars for investment in remodernization.
  What makes Iraqis and the investments in Iraq more important than 
investments here? I support rebuilding Iraq, given the war; but we 
should not deconstruct here in America. We have set a set of priorities 
and principles in place that has put America behind where we put our 
priorities overseas. This administration needs to remember that here at 
home working families deserve a tax cut, the 12 million children of 
working parents, 6.5 million working families who will not get the 
$1,000 tax cut because this Congress, under the stewardship and 
leadership of this administration, is too busy.
  Yet the Premier of Pakistan came in and walked out with an equal 
amount of dollars, $3.5 billion. In Iraq, folks will be getting $20 a 
day who do not show up for work, yet our GIs on active duty will not 
get the full $1,000 tax cut they are promised. Where are the values? 
Where are the principles that say you should do that? I think I know a 
number of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have good 
values. We have talked about our families, our hopes and faith. If 
their mothers knew what they were doing here, giving 200,000 Iraqis $20 
a day, denying a tax cut to our GIs, I think they would have another 
view because those are not the values their mothers raised them with.
  In closing, we make choices. President Kennedy once said to govern is 
to choose. I am saddened that, as we get ready to start sending out 
checks to the top 1 percent in the sense of wealth, that the 12 million 
children of working families will have been forgotten and will go 
without that tax cut.
  Mr. Speaker, we will go home with unfinished business as it relates 
to our values and our principles. We should remember the folks who get 
up every morning, go to work, try to make that paycheck stretch all the 
way to the 31st of the month. We should remember what they are trying 
to do with their children, to know the difference between right from 
wrong; and what do we say to them, we are going to keep that speed bump 
in your way so your day is harder. But somehow, we are putting a better 
sense of values on the Premier of Pakistan who walked out in one day 
with $3.5 billion, equal to the amount it would cost to rectify the 
error in the conference when the Republican leadership of the Senate 
and the Republican leadership of the House and the Vice President of 
the United States sat in the room and cut those kids out of the tax 
cut.

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