Timothy Roemer: “we have heard the old adage over and over again about a billion dollars here and a billion dollars there and pretty soon…”

“we have heard the old adage over and over again about a billion dollars here and a billion dollars there and pretty soon we are talking about real money. This amendment is a real amendment because we are talking about a thousand dollars to people that in three States, a family of three making $18,000 a year, cannot qualify for help to get child care for their family. Mr. Chairman, I hope that the Members in this body are listening because I am sure that people out in the country are listening. A thousand dollars to them, when they are making $18,000 a year and they are working sometimes two and three jobs and the most important thing in the world to them is their children, this amendment is important. Yes, it is important because we are talking about differences in priorities tonight at 10:20 Washington, D.C., time. And maybe we will be here until 2:20 and maybe we will be here all day tomorrow talking about education. I hope we are. This is the most important issue to me and the single most important reason why I picked the Committee on Education and the Workforce to serve on in this body. A thousand dollars to a family of three making $18,000 a year in three States where they cannot qualify for any help to get child care to take care of their children while they work, this idea behind this amendment can help some real people with real problems address their dire need for quality and affordable child care.”