Arlen Specter: “We thank the Senator more for the accurate identification than the congratulations. My vote against it was based upon…”

“We thank the Senator more for the accurate identification than the congratulations. My vote against it was based upon concern of what the surplus would be. I think it ought to be noted the President has come forward with a proposal for a tax cut of his own. It is not a tax cut of the magnitude passed by the Senate and the House, but he has come forward with a role for a tax cut. Back to the issue on more money for afterschool programs. I think it is very important to consider this issue in the perspective of what has happened with this program which was created as recently as 1994. For the fiscal year 1995, enacted in 1994, the last year when the Congress was controlled by the Democrats, the afterschool program was $750,000. The next year it was $750,000. In fiscal year 1997, it went to $1 million. In 1998, when I chaired the subcommittee and Senator Harkin was ranking, we raised it to $40 million. Last year, we raised it to $200 million. This year, we are raising it another $200 million. I believe there has been a real recognition of the value of the afterschool program.”