[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 23032-23033]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        MAKE WISE BUDGET CHOICES

  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, since the year 2000 this Congress has 
racked up more than $3 trillion in new debt. Mind you, at a time in 
which in 2000 the American budget was running a surplus, but in that 
time we have run deficits on average a little north of $400 billion and 
we have added $3 trillion to the Nation's debt.
  How did we do it? We have tried to fight two wars with four tax cuts; 
and

[[Page 23033]]

this Congress has served as an ATM to the special interests, showering 
them with billions in tax breaks and handouts. The prescription drug 
bill is a classic example where we are now adding close to what the 
American people were once told would be a $400 billion prescription 
drug bill, is now worth $800 billion and $139 billion in extra profits 
to the pharmaceutical companies over 10 years.
  Yet, all of the sudden when it comes to rebuilding the lives of our 
fellow citizens in New Orleans and on the coast, we are talking about 
cutting education, health care, areas of environment and energy for the 
rest of America, $50 billion; and all the while we are trying to do 
that this Congress under a Republican majority wants to shower the 
wealthiest 1 percent, those who earn over $200,000, with more tax cuts 
and more debt. Yet, what are we saying to the rest of America? You are 
going to get cuts in education, health care, environment, energy, 
national security areas, homeland in the area of police.
  Yet the interesting thing, while all of this is happening here in the 
United States we are trying to turn ourselves into a pretzel, trying to 
cut $50 billion from our education and health care. What are we doing 
in Iraq at this time? What are we doing in Iraq?
  We are actually renovating and building 110 primary health care 
centers, vaccinating 3.2 million Iraqi children, rehabilitating 2,700 
schools, training 36,000 secondary school teachers in Iraq. We fund 
3,120 community development projects in Iraq, and we have provided 
housing for tens of thousands of Iraqis. And what do we tell the 
American people in the same area, health care and education? We are 
going to cut in America.
  This is the only time in American history. When you look back to it, 
Abraham Lincoln thought of the land grant colleges and the 
transcontinental railroad system. Eisenhower at the end of the Korean 
War thought of the interstate highway system. President Kennedy at the 
ending days of Vietnam was thinking of putting a man on the moon.
  At this time when we are thinking about, as we have always thought 
towards the end of the war, every President--Roosevelt had the G.I. 
bill--every President said, how do we bring this peace home to America 
and how do we make sure we invest in America so we reap the benefits as 
a country? Only this President at this time in this war is thinking 
about rebuilding another country while cutting back in the United 
States.
  President Lincoln thought of the land grant colleges. We are going to 
cut Pell grants. President Eisenhower thought of the interstate highway 
system. President Kennedy thought of putting a man on the moon. What 
are we going to do? We are going to cut Amtrak in this country.
  This is not the way to invest in America. You want to make the 21st 
century the American century like the 20th century? You have to invest 
in America. What have you done? You have turned the budget into a 
pretzel all to protect tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans.
  They are patriots too. When it comes to America's future, every 
American must have skin in the game. When it comes to rebuilding the 
coast, that is the families and the communities of New Orleans, 
Mississippi and Alabama. The choice should not be cutting Pell grants 
and college loans, cutting student nutrition programs, cutting health 
care for our elderly and most vulnerable as a way to pay for that.
  Yet at the same time this Congress has allocated $445 billion to Iraq 
and it is going to go north to $600 billion unaccounted for, unpaid 
for, all debt the American taxpayer has to pay for. And what are the 
Americans going to get for it? Cuts in education, cuts in the students 
loan programs, cuts in health care clinics. Our senior citizens are 
going to get cuts in health care.
  That is the budget you have presented to the American people. The 
American people deserve better. We can build a stronger America. We do 
not and America does not deserve gas prices at $3 a gallon. Energy 
prices this winter are going up by 50 percent. Inflation is increasing 
at its fastest rate, 15 percent.
  What are you providing Americans? You are providing them protection 
for those who earn $200,000 or more and the rest of America gets cuts 
in its investment for its future. Yet you have told the Iraqis. Why do 
we not give Iraq some cuts in their investments and provide America the 
schools we are talking about in Iraq?
  I have no problem investing in Iraq's future. What I have a problem 
with is the cuts in America's future that you want to make here. We can 
do better for America. We can definitely do better. A stronger America 
around the world begins at home.
  You are making the wrong choices for America's future. I hope as we 
deal with this budget and the time coming up for this budget that we 
understand that writing $445 billion of hot checks for Iraq's future 
and cutting education and health care in America is not the right 
choice.

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