[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
[June 23, 1998]
[Page 1026]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on House of Representatives Action on Departments of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Legislation
June 23, 1998

    I am deeply disappointed in the action taken within the House 
Appropriations Committee today. Returning to the partisanship of the 
past, House Republicans backed a bill that would take us backwards just 
when we should be addressing the challenges of the next century.
    Last year we made critical investments in every stage of our 
children's lives in a bipartisan balanced budget. From Head Start 
expansion to new tax credits that make college more affordable, we 
worked together to make smart investments in our people and our future. 
To build on that success, this year I proposed commonsense investments 
to reduce class size, modernize America's schools, and make quality 
child care more affordable.
    Working together, we can continue to move the Nation forward. But 
the House Republican bill takes us in the wrong direction, short-
changing critical investments in our young people--from preschool and 
child care to antidrug and safe after-school programs. These cuts are 
arbitrary, and some are extreme. This bill would completely eliminate 
the summer jobs program, denying more than one-half million teenagers 
valuable work experience. It would slow progress on our efforts to 
improve children's literacy and computer skills. And for poor families, 
the Republicans would eliminate the program that they rely on to help 
them heat their homes during the winter. This bill is out of step with 
our values and the wrong vision for America's future.