Orrin Hatch: “the Senator from Iowa has shown remarkable leadership abilities by stewarding through the Senate a tremendous economic…”

“the Senator from Iowa has shown remarkable leadership abilities by stewarding through the Senate a tremendous economic stimulus bill, the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. I recognize this was no easy task and I want to compliment the Senator on his hard work and successful negotiations in getting the bill through a difficult conference with the House. The Nation and the economy will benefit from this great work. I understand the final version of this bill we are considering today contains $20 billion for State aid, with $10 billion of that aid going to States to help them pay for a state's essential government services. I believe the States will be very grateful for Congress' willingness to provide these funds. Although the bill clearly says that States may spend these funds on 'essential government services,' I believe that the States would appreciate some clarification as to the definition of 'essential government services.' I refer specifically to whether these funds may be used to pay for child care. In my home State of Utah, there is a great need for child care funding to help parents in or near poverty have a safe place for their children to stay while they work to provide money for their families. However, I believe this need is not a Utah-specific issue, but a nationwide problem that needs to be addressed.”