Arlen Specter: “I am saddened to hear the arguments from the other side of the aisle which have turned this matter pretty much into a…”

“I am saddened to hear the arguments from the other side of the aisle which have turned this matter pretty much into a partisan debate. When we talk about the 1 percent across-the-board cut, frankly, that is something I do not like. But when you take a look at the increases which are in this bill, they remain largely intact, notwithstanding the fact that there will be a 1-percent cut. For example, on Head Start, at $5.2 billion, it has an increase of some $608.5 million. The 1-percent across-the-board cut will leave, instead of a $608.5 million increase, a $570.9 million increase. You will find that throughout the bill. When the last Senator who spoke made a reference to the difficulties of the National Institutes of Health in stopping and starting, I point out that it has been the initiative of our subcommittee, significantly a Republican initiative, to increase NIH, which has had the full concurrence of the distinguished Senator from Iowa, Mr. Harkin, representing the Democrats. But 3 years ago, we sought an increase of almost $1 billion, an increase of some $900 million, after the conference. Last year, we increased NIH funding by $2 billion. This year, the Senate bill had $2 billion, and on the initiative of Congressman Porter in the House, a Republican, we increased it an additional $300 million.”