Nancy Pelosi: “today, nine days before Christmas, I rise in strong support of the motion to instruct on the spending reconciliation…”

“today, nine days before Christmas, I rise in strong support of the motion to instruct on the spending reconciliation bill. This motion to instruct would eliminate the most egregious aspects of the House reconciliation bill and would reduce the Republican cuts to less than $20 billion. This Congress must not go home for the holidays, leaving a lump of coal in the stockings of the most vulnerable children in this country. That is contrary to the spirit of this holiday season and contrary to the values of this nation. If we adopt this motion, we will send the conferees on this bill a strong message that this should not be the season of ``suffer little children.'' This motion eliminates the cuts from the House bill that would affect the most vulnerable children in this country: It says no to cuts to our child support enforcement program: so that parents have to fulfill their responsibilities to their children. It says no to slashing food stamps: so that low-income children can be properly fed. It says no to cutting health benefits for low-income children: because we want all children to have access to health care in this country. How can we possibly leave here and as one of our last legislative actions in this Christmas season to be accused of being scrooges to the least among us--poor children?…”