David Obey: “When we cut through all the shouting, I think it is easy to see by looking at the actions of other parties who is the…”

“When we cut through all the shouting, I think it is easy to see by looking at the actions of other parties who is the odd man out today and who is not. The Senate 2 days ago, with only 14 dissenting votes--and the last time I looked, the Senate was controlled by the Republican Party, the Majority Leader was a fellow who is going to be the Republican candidate for President. When the Senate acted on this bill, on the Labor-Health-Education-social services funding bill, with only 14 dissenting votes out of 100, they put back $60 million in the Goals 2000 program. They put back $917 million in the school-to-work program. They put back $814 million in title I to teach the most disadvantaged kids in this country. They put back $82 million in vocational education. The gentleman from Florida says it does not work well in Florida. It works terrifically well in Wisconsin, and we do not want to cripple that program. They put back $58 million in Perkins loans. They put back $32 million in SSIG. Summer youth, you are wiping out that program, an awful lot of jobs for kids who are going to be on the street instead of learning how to work. School-to-work programs in the Department of Labor $91 million that they are trying to put back. Head Start, $136 million.”