Patrick Kennedy: “It occurs to me that maybe the Senate copier was on to something when it split these two pages out. This conference…”

“It occurs to me that maybe the Senate copier was on to something when it split these two pages out. This conference report makes me want to gag when I think about what happened. The obfuscation and deception that has been the hallmark of this budget process is truly worthy of the conference report. The majority insisted on voting on a budget resolution before seeing the President's budget. That was the first thing. Then the majority shut out the Democrats from any consideration on this conference report and then tried to sneak a vote past the American people before they even had a chance to see their cynical handiwork. I do not blame the Republican leadership for trying to hide the details of this budget from the people. Nobody would be proud of this budget that pays for tax cuts with the futures of our children. Look at all the child-hostile measures in this budget. It cuts Head Start; it makes child care harder and more less affordable for working families. It cuts Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Part C, which helps prepare disabled infants and toddlers for school. It cuts the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which keeps kids safe and productive after school. It cuts the Mental Health Services block grant, which is what everyone tells me is what works in our States when providing that crucial community support for our most vulnerable children.”