[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5520]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   THE PRESIDENT'S ECONOMIC POLICIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, this week the House is on the verge of 
passing a $2.3 trillion budget with a $521 billion deficit, showing 
that it is impossible to finance three wars with three tax cuts and 
expect a different result.
  This budget repeats the same mistakes that have resulted in a jobless 
economy and a wage recession in America, the lowest wage growth in any 
period of time in a period of economic ``growth.'' The Republican 
budget continues the status quo policies that have resulted in 2\1/2\ 
million Americans who have lost their jobs, 43 million Americans 
without health care, 4 more million Americans since the President took 
office, 2 more million Americans in poverty who walked out of the 
middle class into poverty, wages frozen, and $1 trillion in corporate 
and individual bankruptcies. Three years, $3 trillion dollars added to 
the Nation's debt, and 3 million Americans have lost their jobs. What a 
record.
  During the 2000 presidential campaign, President Bush said he opposed 
nation-building. Who knew it was America he was talking about?
  This budget, the President's economic policy, is really a tale of two 
budgets: one for America and one for Iraq. We have spent more than $100 
billion on Iraq's occupation without promising the same future here at 
home.
  In Iraq they get universal health care and free job training, while 
in America 44 million Americans go without health care, 10 million 
children without health care, and 8.2 million Americans without jobs.
  In the area of health care, 2,200 Iraqi health professionals and 
8,000 volunteers are receiving free training. In America under this 
budget that the Republicans and the President put together, health 
training funds are cut by 64 percent.
  One hundred and fifty clinics and hospitals have been rebuilt, 
serving 3 million Iraqis, providing 100 percent prenatal and infant 
coverage. In America, community health care clinics are cutting funding 
by 91 percent; Maternal and Child Health Care, Healthy Start, and 
family planning, all frozen.
  In the area of jobs, $60 million is being spent to retrain the Iraqi 
veterans. Yet we have cut the manufacturing job training program by 67 
percent over 3 years.
  In the area of education, we built 2,300 schools in Iraq and 
underfunded Leave No Child Behind in America by $8 billion.
  Iraqi universities are getting $21 million for higher ed 
partnerships. In America, the Perkins loans are cut by $99 million and 
Pell grants are frozen.
  The police in Iraq, $500 million for training. In America, the COPS 
program is cut by $659 million.
  In the area of housing, $470 million is spent on Iraqi public 
housing, while in America $791 billion is cut from Section 8 housing 
vouchers.
  In the area of environment, we are paying for $3.6 billion in water 
and sewers in Iraq; and in this budget, the Clean Water State Revolving 
Fund, which deals with drinking water here in America, is cut by $500 
million.
  The port of Umm Qasar was completely rebuilt in Iraq. The Army Corps 
of Engineers cannot afford U.S. port security upgrades since their 
budget has been cut by 63 percent.
  Roads, we have spent $240 million on roads and bridges in Iraq, but 
mass transit, including highway funding, remains stalled under this 
administration.
  As President Bush seeks reelection and we think about his pledge in 
2000 to oppose nation-building, he has the dubious honor of saying he 
kept his pledge because he is opposed to nation-building here in 
America.
  I am not opposed to what we are planning for Iraq. That is a good 
thing. But I oppose the notion that we will literally reconstruct Iraq 
while we deconstruct the United States.
  In this budget this administration, this Congress, is telling the 
American people that they have two priorities, two sets of values, and 
two sets of books, one for Iraq and one for America. Compared to how 
Americans view their futures, we cannot deny Americans the same dreams 
of affordable housing, affordable health care, affordable education 
that we have promised Iraq and their children. America can no longer 
afford to be so generous if hope for a prosperous tomorrow and a better 
tomorrow is diminished here at home for the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, the same values we hold for Iraq we must pledge for all 
Americans. So we cannot allow our economy and our prospects, which this 
budget will lay out an economic vision, that still results in 2\1/2\ 
million Americans in the last 3 years who have lost their jobs, 43 
million Americans without health care, nearly $1 trillion worth of 
corporate and individual assets have been foreclosed on, and 2 more 
million Americans have walked out of the middle class into poverty. If 
we are going to do nation-building, we must do it here at home, not 
just overseas.

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