Nita Lowey: “thank you to Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Walsh and their staffs for their hard work in crafting this bill. This…”

“thank you to Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Walsh and their staffs for their hard work in crafting this bill. This conference report goes a long way towards addressing the current and future needs of millions of Americans and their families. It provides relief for families that desperately need child care and afterschool programs; for teachers anxious to receive classroom training or professional development; for students who won't be able to attend college without an increase in the maximum Pell Grant; and for the elderly who depend on LIHEAP to help pay for the rising cost of home heating oil. What some of my friends on the other side of the aisle who intend to vote against this conference report don't seem to understand is that the programs funded in this bill literally make a life-or-death difference in the lives of millions of American families who are struggling to make ends meet. We find a way to pay $12 billion every month for the war in Iraq, yet some of you will fight tooth and nail against the additional $9.8 billion in this bill that will help 436,000 more disadvantaged children receive math and reading assistance; or 130,000 more children receive afterschool care; or support 600 additional research grants at NIH; or provide 1.2 million uninsured Americans access to healthcare at community health centers. It is outrageous, and it is unconscionable.…”