[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.