[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 19 (Monday, May 15, 2000)]
[Pages 1056-1057]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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.

[[Page 1057]]

    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.