[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25564]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                         BUDGET RECONCILIATION

  (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Madam Speaker, tomorrow the leadership of this House 
will bring up a budget reconciliation bill which makes cuts to 
Medicaid, food stamp programs for children, student loan aid programs 
that will force thousands of college students to leave school and 
prevent thousands more from even beginning higher education at the 
community college or university of their choice.
  At a time when we are importing scientists, engineers, doctors, 
nurses and other highly trained workers to keep our economy running, 
this House is going to siphon off student aid dollars to provide $70 
billion of tax cuts for the rich. According to the Congressional Budget 
Office, there will be nearly $8 billion in new charges to students and 
families that will raise the cost of their college loans at a time when 
the cost of higher education is rising much faster than the rate of 
inflation.
  This reconciliation bill is not about controlling runaway Federal 
spending. It is about destroying our future for the short-term benefit 
of a privileged few. I urge my colleagues to oppose this shortsighted 
budget reconciliation bill.

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