Ed Markey: “the political party that once suggested that catsup should be counted as a vegetable in school lunch programs has given…”

“the political party that once suggested that catsup should be counted as a vegetable in school lunch programs has given us a new plan to slash funding for public schools across America. Over the weekend the Republican majority leader suggested that repealing the 4-cent tax on gasoline be paid for by cutting education for the children in the United States. He said if there is a place where we are getting a declining value for an increasing dollar it is in education. That is right, the majority leader of the Republican Party wants to cut the education budget of our country. And to do what? Well, the Colombo-like, Dick Tracy-like investigations of the Republican Party have found that the 4-cent increase in gasoline tax in 1993 is somehow related to oil company executive speculation in the oil market in 1996, which has led to a 20-cent increase in the price of gasoline for consumers across this country. Now, you are never going to hear a word from the Republican Party about the oil companies increasing gasoline by 20 cents a gallon in the last 3 months. Not a word. They are going to keep pointing back to a 4-cent gasoline tax in 1993 that actually led to a reduction in the price of oil over the next 2 years. Why? Well, because they want to avoid some very simple facts. Fact No.…”