Louise Slaughter: “I want to call a vote for the previous question and urge a ``no'' vote. If the previous question is defeated, I will…”

“I want to call a vote for the previous question and urge a ``no'' vote. If the previous question is defeated, I will offer an amendment to the rule that will make in order an amendment that was submitted to the Rules Committee yesterday by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Ranking Member Obey) but, sadly, was rejected. The amendment would increase funding for a number of vital programs and services that are insufficiently funded in the bill. The programs and services provided in H.R. 5006 touch the lives of almost every American. The bill funds activities ranging from education for preschoolers from low-income families, to college tuition assistance, and to home-delivered meals for the elderly. It also provides for job training, worker protection, and funding for medical research. But as critical as these programs are to our citizens, the leadership has drastically underfunded them. The Obey substitute will help restore funding to a number of the most important of these programs. I want to point out that this amendment is fully paid for. It offsets the increased costs of the programs by slightly scaling back the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for those with incomes above $1 million. Under this amendment, their average tax cut would go from $127,000 to $89,000, still a very substantial tax cut.”