    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [May 10, 2000]
    [Page 888]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 888]]

    Statement on Congressional Action on Appropriations Legislation
    May 10, 2000

        Today both the House and Senate subcommittees passed appropriation
    bills for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education that fail to
    invest in the Nation's future and turn back our progress in helping
    opportunity and prosperity reach all corners of America. During this
    period of economic prosperity and budget surplus, we should seize the
    opportunity to improve our Nation's schools, advance the health and
    well-being of our citizens, and train and protect our workers.
    Regrettably, misguided priorities and insufficient resources in the
    bills adopted today have led the Congress in a different direction.
    Unfortunately, these actions today invest too little in our schools and
    demand too little from them.
        The House bill shortchanges essential initiatives and fails to
    support our Nation's children and schools. It fails to provide
    sufficient funding to strengthen accountability and help turn around
    low-performing schools, reduce class size, increase after-school
    opportunities, renovate aging and neglected schools, close the digital
    divide, improve teacher quality, and provide mentoring to help children
    go to and succeed in college. It hurts unemployed and working Americans
    by cutting training and other programs that help them find jobs and work
    in safe environments. The bill fails to make key investments in
    childcare, preschool, and other important services for poor working
    families. The House bill fails to support key health programs by
    reducing funding for mental health services, family planning services,
    and substance abuse programs and eliminates funding to improve access to
    health care for the uninsured. The bill also cut funding needed to
    ensure nursing home quality and strengthen health benefits
    administration.
        The Senate bill provides more acceptable funding levels for many key
    programs but does so by bankrupting the Social Services Block Grant,
    shifting money from children's health insurance, and making other cuts.
    The bill does not guarantee funding for critical education priorities
    such as school renovation and reducing class size and underfunds
    programs to help unemployed workers and youth get job training. The
    Senate bill also fails to support critical health programs, including
    funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, mental health and
    substance abuse services, and nursing home quality oversight.
        If a bill that fails to address these concerns were to come to me in
    its current form, I would have to veto it. I look forward to working
    with Congress to ensure that this bill strengthens our Nation's schools
    and supports and enhances other important national priorities while
    continuing to honor our commitment to fiscal integrity.