Thomas Daschle: “there are a number of our colleagues--and I would say I am certainly one of them--who would vote no if we were to have a…”

“there are a number of our colleagues--and I would say I am certainly one of them--who would vote no if we were to have a rollcall vote on this continuing resolution today. I have attempted to accommodate colleagues who are not able to be here as a result of their illness, and it is only as a result of illness we will forego the need for a rollcall vote. But I think this moment requires at least an explanation. We are now into the 6th month of the effort underway in Congress to address appropriations. We have continued to extend the continuing resolutions at levels far below what is viewed as adequate for education, homeland security, health, research, and for the priorities that many of us hold to be the most important. So I must say I am deeply troubled by this continuing extension of the continuing resolution without addressing the need for adequacy in education and homeland security, in particular. Basically, what this reflects is a dramatic cut, a deep cut in the funding for education, a deep cut in the funding for homeland security, a deep cut in transportation and research--cuts virtually across the board. I hope this will be the last continuing resolution that we will adopt in this manner.”