FLOOR STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE NANCY PELOSI
REPUBLICAN BUDGET LEAVES MILLIONS OF CHILDREN BEHIND
CUTS CHILD CARE TO PAY FOR TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY
WASHINGTON - 03.27.01 | "Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this irresponsible budget resolution. Our national budget is a statement of our nation's priorities. This proposed budget resolution makes very clear the priorities of the Republican leadership and President Bush. They value tax cuts for the wealthy above all else, including the programs that working families rely on to care for their children.
"President Bush has said many times that his Administration would leave no child behind, yet his budget and this budget resolution - which is based on the funding levels proposed in President Bush's budget outline - both do exactly that in order to pay for an irresponsible tax cut.
"Example after example demonstrates that the President's budget does leave millions of children behind. The Bush budget cuts the Child Care and Development Block Grant by $200 million. It cuts grants to prevent and investigate child abuse by $15.7 million. It eliminates the early learning fund, which was created last year to improve the quality of child care and pre-kindergarten education. This budget not only fails to live up to the president's rhetoric, it also fails to represent the values of our country.
"As Secretary Tommy Thompson demonstrated while he was Governor of Wisconsin, adequate child care for low-income families is vital for the success of welfare-to-work programs. He addressed that need by increasing spending on child care from $12 million in 1987 to $250 million this year. His new boss should follow his lead.
"Funds for child care subsidies are already woefully inadequate. Only 12 percent of American children who are eligible for child care assistance under federal law actually receive assistance. There is not one state in this country that is able to serve all families who are eligible with the funds currently available. A budget that is based on the values of American families would not cut the resources available to help parents meet this need.
"Our children are our future. This president says he knows that, but his actions speak louder than his words. I urge my colleagues to oppose this budget resolution which shortsightedly favors tax cuts for the wealthy over investments in children and families. "
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