Orrin Hatch: “I commend the Senator from Arkansas for his amendment. I have followed the activities of the NLRB for many years--since…”

“I commend the Senator from Arkansas for his amendment. I have followed the activities of the NLRB for many years--since I came to the Senate, in fact. It is certainly not clear to me that this agency needs a $25 million increase over last year's level-- particularly when the subcommittee was forced to be so frugal with a number of other high priority programs. I support the reallocation of these funds to the Consolidated Health Services account for the Community Health Centers. We have long worried about access to primary health care for low-income families. This amendment is a way that we can provide such care for 83,000 more Americans. The NLRB is getting a $25 million increase--an unprecedented increase--over 10 percent. There has been no justification offered for this increase. The caseload has consistently declined over the decade. Now, the appropriations committee has provided an increase for the community health centers of $99.3 million. This is badly needed, comparison with the NLRB notwithstanding.”