[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 693]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 STARK OPPOSES UNJUST REPUBLICAN BUDGET

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                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2006

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this unjust 
Republican budget that cuts funding for working class programs and does 
nothing to improve the U.S. deficit.
  ``Remember Pearl Harbor'' was a rallying cry to unite Americans in 
shared sacrifice to respond to a military attack on our Nation. In 
contrast, 9/11 will be remembered as a tragedy exploited by President 
Bush to divide Americans and place the financial burden of his ill-
advised policies on working class Americans.
  President Bush and his Republican cronies have used this tragedy to 
justify an unnecessary war in Iraq and ensure that the wealthiest 
Americans contribute nothing to pay for it by giving them billions of 
dollars in tax cuts. As the wealthiest Republican party donors--like 
Halliburton--make billions from this failed war, the Republican budget 
sticks America's working families with the tab.
  This Republican budget cuts health care, child care, student loans, 
foster care payments, job training and aid to the elderly and people 
with disabilities in exchange for the Iraq war and tax cuts for the 
wealthiest Americans.
  Not even the extreme poverty displayed on televisions across this 
country of Hurricane Katrina's victims has been able to stir compassion 
into the cold hearts of the President and his Republican cronies in 
Congress. This bill forces states to stop providing job training and 
vocational education programs for the poor and force millions of them 
into low-waged, dead end jobs with no health insurance or child care. 
In addition, many poor families will have to pay copays and deductibles 
for their health insurance on their incomes of less than $19,000 a year 
for a family of four. Instead of giving the poor a hand up, this bill 
puts a boot in their face to push them down.
  In true fashion, the Republican budget does take care of their rich 
lobbyist friends. For instance the Republicans decided to remove a 
provision that would have stopped taxpayers from overpaying HMOs 
participating in Medicare by $22 billion. Had that provision remained 
in, cuts to programs that help people--not corporations--could have 
been reduced by that level.
  Similar protections were given to the private lenders that provide 
student loans. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that chairman 
of the House Education and Workforce Committee, Representative John 
Boehner, met with these private lenders in December, who contribute 
handsomely to his campaigns, and said: ``Relax. Stay calm. At the end 
of the day, I believe you'll be at least satisfied, or even perhaps 
happy. Know that I have all of you in my two trusted hands.''
  This budget clearly demonstrates that the Republican Party's 
corruption and cronyism causes real harm to average Americans. The next 
time a parent or former student has to pay extra for their student 
loan, or a senior citizen is forced to pay more for their health care, 
they should thank the Republican Party. You can be sure that the health 
insurance industry and private student lenders will be donating 
millions more to Republican campaigns to show their thanks.
  I urge my colleagues to vote against this corrupt and unjust bill.

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