[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23077]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            BUDGET AND IRAQ

  (Mr. EMANUEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. EMANUEL. Madam Speaker, after racking up nearly $3 trillion in 
new debt in the past 4 years, suddenly this Congress has decided to 
become budget hawks. Tomorrow we are set to slash up to $50 billion 
from essential investments in America in order to cut taxes for the 
wealthiest 1 percent. To pay for those tax cuts, we are cutting health 
care, education, community investments, heating assistance, and 
nutritional programs. American taxpayers all the while are being asked 
to carry $445 billion invested in Iraq's war. In Iraq we have built and 
renovated 110 primary health care centers, vaccinated 3.2 million 
children, but right here this budget by the Republicans is cutting $10 
billion from Medicaid.
  In Iraq we have rehabilitated 2,700 schools, trained 36,000 secondary 
school teachers. In America, we are cutting $806 million from public 
school funding and college assistance by billions of dollars. We have 
funded 3,100 community development projects in Iraq, but this Congress 
is cutting $250 million from community development block grants.
  Madam Speaker, it is our duty to rebuild Iraq, but Iraq's future 
should not come at the expense of America's. This Congress should be 
working to leave America stronger in the future, not weaker.

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