Arlen Specter: “I take the answer from the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts to be a yes. The import of his answer is that there…”

“I take the answer from the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts to be a yes. The import of his answer is that there will be a decrease in NIH funding, and there will be a decrease in funding for every other program covered by the appropriations allocation for my subcommittee, which has the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, as well as the Department of Education. I have asked the question twice, and twice the Senator from Massachusetts has said that he does not accept the allocation. Well, I do not accept the allocation either, but Senator Kennedy does not run the U.S. Government, and neither does Arlen Specter. Before there is going to be a change in the allocation, there has to be an agreement between the executive branch, the President, and the Congress of the United States. Right now, what we are dealing with is an allocation for three departments. I do not like the allocation, but that is the allocation. And you cannot take $3 billion and add it to education without crippling many, many other vital accounts. You will be taking an enormous amount of funding out of the older worker's jobs program, community and migrant mental health centers, maternal and child care, substance abuse; and if I did not have a limitation of time, I could go through many, many programs, which I know the Senator from Massachusetts would not want to take funding out of.”