Arlen Specter: “I found on my desk this morning a ``Dear Colleague'' letter entitled, ``Oppose the Specter-Harkin Amendment That Seizes…”

“I found on my desk this morning a ``Dear Colleague'' letter entitled, ``Oppose the Specter-Harkin Amendment That Seizes $123 Billion in State Funds.'' Instead of outlining the provisions of the Specter-Harkin amendment, I would just refer my colleagues to this ``Dear Colleague'' letter signed by the opponents, and tell them that the amendment is exactly contrary to what is in this ``Dear Colleague'' letter, so that by reading the letter, they can just conclude the opposite, and they will have a statement of what the pending amendment is. Before dealing in detail with the ``Dear Colleague'' letter, or this misstatement, permit me to outline in very general terms that the pending amendment has been offered by the chairmen and ranking members of the two Senate committees which are charged with authorization of appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services. Senator Jeffords, the chairman of the authorizing committee, and Senator Kennedy, the ranking member, are cosponsors of the amendment which has been offered by Senator Harkin, the ranking member on the appropriations subcommittee which has the responsibility for appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services, and the subcommittee which I have the honor to Chair. We must survey--the four of us in our positions as chairmen and ranking members--the health needs of America in a very, very constrained budget.”