    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [November 13, 2007]
    [Page 1469]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the House of Representatives Returning Without Approval the
    ``Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
    Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008''
    November 13, 2007

    To the House of Representatives:
        I am returning herewith without my approval H.R. 3043, the
    ``Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
    Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008.''
        This bill spends too much. It exceeds the reasonable and responsible
    levels for discretionary spending that I proposed to balance the budget
    by 2012. The Congress is on a path to spend $205 billion more over the
    next 5 years than I requested. This puts a balanced budget in jeopardy
    and risks future tax increases. This year, the Congress plans to
    overspend my budget by $22 billion, of which $10 billion is for
    increases in this bill. Health care, education, job training, and other
    goals can be achieved without this excessive spending if the Congress
    sets priorities.
        This bill continues to fund programs that are duplicative or
    ineffective. The Congress continues to fund 56 programs totaling more
    than $3.2 billion that I proposed to terminate because they are
    duplicative, narrowly focused, or not producing results.
        This bill does not sufficiently fund programs that are delivering
    positive outcomes. For example, Reading First, a critical initiative
    that is demonstrating results, receives a 61 percent cut, even though
    low-income students enrolled in Reading First schools posted a more than
    10-point improvement in reading proficiency from 2004 to 2006.
        This bill has too many earmarks. I set out clear goals for the
    Congress to reform the earmarking process. The Congress chose not to put
    earmarks in bill text, instead including nearly all in report language,
    and they did not reach the goal of cutting the cost and number of
    earmarks by at least half. This bill contains more than 2,200 earmarks
    totaling nearly $1 billion. Congressional earmarks divert Federal
    taxpayer funds to localities without the benefit of a merit-based
    process, resulting in fewer resources for national priorities or
    unnecessary spending above the requested level.
        I urge the Congress to send me a fiscally responsible bill that sets
    priorities. Americans sent us to Washington to achieve results and be
    good stewards of their hard-earned tax dollars. Because the legislation
    violates that commitment, I must veto this bill.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     November 13, 2007.