Katherine Clark: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The underlying bill is…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The underlying bill is already underfunded. The majority has imposed a $5 billion cut to the Labor-HHS bill below the 2017 omnibus level. This cut is as unnecessary as it is indiscriminate because it indiscriminately cuts programs in this bill without thought to the relative merit. For instance, this amendment would result in fewer infants and toddlers receiving Head Start's services, fewer students receiving financial aid to help afford college, fewer biomedical research grants, and cuts to public health emergency response. The list goes on and on. Investment is what we need to help build and strengthen our middle class, and this amendment threatens that. Mr. Chairman, I strongly urge Members to oppose this amendment.”