Tim Ryan: “Mr. Speaker, just one final closing point, and we do not need to beat a dead horse here, but I do believe that we cannot…”

“Mr. Speaker, just one final closing point, and we do not need to beat a dead horse here, but I do believe that we cannot have an honest debate about this education program or any other education programs without looking at the money, and we need to fund these education programs. Again, we commend the teachers. We commend the principles and the people who were involved in this program. And there is no doubt about the outstanding work that they provide, the outstanding leadership that they provide for our young students who are there. We will support this resolution. But, in the current fiscal year 2004 appropriations, $61.6 million, it would take $1.1 billion to fully fund this program. When you look at that in the light of all the tax cuts that we have given to the top one, 2 percent of the people in this country, the wealthiest 1 and 2 percent of the people in this country, we just believe on this side of the aisle that it is time for us to take this responsibility seriously. We are losing jobs left and right, and we want every single child to have an opportunity to get a quality education with the new facility with the proper education in these time of great need for these children.”