Frank Pallone: “I rise tonight, and we are in really the final hours of the budget negotiations with the balanced budget and tax cut…”

“I rise tonight, and we are in really the final hours of the budget negotiations with the balanced budget and tax cut plan close at hand, and as the final details are worked out concerning a number of issues, I want to, on the one hand, talk about some of the major achievements that I believe Democrats have succeeded in accomplishing if this budget agreement is finally concluded also talk about some of the things that I think that Democrats and the President need to continue to stand firm on to make sure that this balanced budget agreement, when it is concluded, is something that helps the average American, the average working American family. One of the things that I am most proud about is the fact that the President indicated very strongly today that the final agreement will contain $24 billion to expand health insurance for kids.”