Hilda L. Solis: “I rise tonight to highlight how the President's fiscal year 2007 budget will harm millions of women and children around…”

“I rise tonight to highlight how the President's fiscal year 2007 budget will harm millions of women and children around the country. Tonight you are going to hear from some of my colleagues about those specific programs that have proven to be successful for all women but are currently being cut and in some cases eliminated altogether. The President is proposing to cut programs that disproportionately help women, children, the elderly, and the increasing population of Americans living in poverty. Earlier this month, I was part of a recent delegation of Members of Congress who traveled to the gulf coast and New Orleans where most communities are still struggling to clean up their homes and get back to some sense of normalcy after Hurricane Katrina. We need to be doing more to help those, those that lost everything to regain their lives. These communities must have quality health care, emergency care, and safe environmental conditions. But we cannot accomplish these goals and help the millions of women and children around the country who are living in poverty with the reckless and immoral budget that President Bush has proposed. Key domestic programs that provide food and housing and support to women are vulnerable under this administration.…”