[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2345]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               REGARDING THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET AND IRAQ

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                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 15, 2008

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, this week, the Washington Post listed 
a number of existing programs that would be eliminated in President 
Bush's budget. These are programs that make a real difference in 
people's lives but have gotten less attention than the major cuts in 
his budget.
  For example, the President's budget proposes to eliminate the 
Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides food packages for 
about 500,000 low-income elderly persons, women, and children each 
month. The program received $140 million in 2008. To put that in 
context, $140 million is the cost of funding 10 hours of the war in 
Iraq.
  During this economic downturn, the President's budget eliminates the 
Community Services Block Grant and other community services programs. 
These programs, which were funded at $698 million in 2008, reduce 
poverty and provide assistance for individuals dealing with housing, 
health, nutrition, energy, and substance abuse problems. $698 million 
is the cost of a little more than 2 days of the war in Iraq.
  At a time of soaring energy prices and record oil company profits, 
the President's budget eliminates Weatherization Assistance to help 
Americans lower their energy bills by making improvements to their 
home's energy efficiency. At $227 million, these program cuts would 
provide to funding for a little more than 16 hours of the war in Iraq.
  The President's budget also eliminates the COPS program, which 
provides grants and other assistance to help communities hire, train, 
and retain police officers and to improve law enforcement technologies. 
In 2008 it received $587 million, the cost of about a day and a half in 
Iraq.
  The President's budget eliminates the Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership, which helps small U.S. manufacturers by providing 
resources to help them create jobs, leverage private-sector investment, 
and be more competitive. These cuts would reduce private-sector 
investment in U.S. manufacturing by an estimated $1.5 billion, and lead 
to the loss of approximately 37,000 jobs which could be created or 
retained. The MEP only cost $87 million in 2008, the cost of a little 
more than 6 hours in Iraq.
  The budget eliminates $1.2 billion in funding for career and 
technical education in high schools and vocational colleges. This would 
withdraw assistance for approximately 8 million students who are 
currently supported by the program--at a cost of approximately 3\1/2\ 
days in Iraq.
  Finally, the President's budget eliminates Medicaid funding for the 
Graduate Medical Education program, which provides physician training 
programs to pediatricians to address the major shortfall in pediatric 
specialists. The policy reduces funding to the program by $302 
million--the cost of a little less than 1 day for the war in Iraq.
  Taken together, all of these programs, which benefit millions of 
Americans, would pay for a little more than a week in Iraq. President 
Bush's budget represents a sad continuation of his failed fiscal 
policies. With this budget, the President is telling us that he 
believes that America should slash investments that help the families 
across the Nation who are struggling to make ends meet, and that we 
should instead waste billions of dollars on a misguided war and on tax 
cuts for his wealthy friends.
  I hope that my colleagues reject these cuts and reject any budget 
that makes funding the war in Iraq a higher priority than meeting the 
needs of American families.

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