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| PRESIDENT CLINTON URGES CONGRESS TO PASS AN EDUCATION BUDGET WITH THE |
| RIGHT PRIORITIES FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES: REPUBLICAN MAJORITY SET ASIDE |
| BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT IN FAVOR OF SPECIAL INTERESTS |
| October 30, 2000 |
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Today, President Clinton will again urge Congress to come together in a
bipartisan process and pass a budget that invests in education and other
key priorities for America. Congressional Republicans today decided to set
aside a bipartisan agreement on the education budget reached by the
Administration and Congress this past weekend because of objections by
special interests to strong worker safety laws. To date, there is no final
education budget that funds school construction, smaller class size,
afterschool learning opportunities, improved teacher quality and ensuring
that failing schools are turned around. Nearly one month past the end of
the fiscal year, Congress has passed nine extensions, but still has not
completed a budget. President Clinton is now granting additional
extensions one day at a time to ensure that Congress stays in town and
completes its business by passing a tax bill for middle-class families,
finishing a fiscally responsible budget that invests in education, and
enacting other national priorities.
PRESIDENT CLINTON WILL URGE CONGRESS TO FINISH A BUDGET THAT INVESTS MORE
AND DEMANDS MORE IN EDUCATION. In February, President Clinton and Vice
President Gore sent Congress a balanced and fiscally responsible budget
that makes investments in key priorities, such as education. So far,
Congress has not acted on legislation to meet the full needs for:
? School modernization. An estimated 3.5 million students attend schools
that need extensive repair or replacement. President Clinton
proposed to create $25 billion in bonds to build and modernize 6,000
schools and a $1.3 billion initiative for urgent school repairs;
? Expanded after-school opportunities. President Clinton proposed $1
billion to support 8,000 extended learning centers, tripling the number
of children served by federally funded after-school programs to nearly 2.5
million children;
? Smaller classes, better teachers. President Clinton proposed $1.75
billion to help school districts support the 29,000 teachers
already hired under the Class-Size Reduction initiative and continue on the
path to our goal of hiring 100,000 high-quality teachers by 2005
;
? Improved teacher quality. President Clinton proposed a comprehensive
initiative to make progress towards putting a qualified teacher
in every classroom and enhance teacher quality through professional
development, recruitment, and rewards;
? Strengthening accountability and turning around failing schools. The
President?s $250 million accountability fund would help states and
school districts invest in proven reforms to turn around low-performing
schools and hold them accountable for results.
IN ADDITION, PRESIDENT CLINTON URGED CONGRESS TO GET DOWN TO WORK ON OTHER
PRIORITIES FOR AMERICA:
? RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE. In his 1998 State of the Union Address, the
President called for raising the minimum wage by $1 over two years,
which would help more than 10 million workers make ends meet. At time
when we are experiencing the longest economic expansion in history,
the proposed $1 increase would return the real value of the minimum
wage to the level it was in 1982.
? TAX RELIEF FOR MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES. Despite President Clinton?s
repeated offers to Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Lott for
bipartisan negotiations on a tax package that reflects the priorities
of both parties, Congress has passed a tax bill that ignores key
priorities for America. First, the Republican school construction
provisions fall far short of both the great national need for school
modernization and the help that would be provided by the bipartisan
Johnson-Rangel proposal. Second, the Republican bill completely
ignores the President?s proposal to cover millions of uninsured
working Americans; includes only half of the benefits of his long-term
care tax credit; and excludes the bipartisan credit for vaccine
research and purchases. Finally, it makes virtually no attempt to
address the Administration?s concerns about the pension provisions by
failing to address the lack of pension coverage for over 70 million
people and potentially creating new incentives for employers to drop
pension coverage.
? CRITICAL MEDICARE/MEDICAID PRIORITIES. The Republican tax legislation
insists on an unjustifiable spending increase for HMOs at the same
time it rejects accountability provisions to ensure that HMOs stay in
the communities they are serving and rebuffs bipartisan policies such
as health insurance options for children with disabilities, an
extension of Medicaid coverage for those moving from welfare to work,
enrollment of children in the new S-CHIP program through the schools,
coverage for legal immigrant pregnant women and children, and needed
payment increases to hospitals, academic health centers, home health
agencies, and other vulnerable providers. President Clinton will
insist that Congress not go home before responding to the urgent
health needs of our seniors, people with disabilities, and children
and the health care providers who serve them.
? PROVIDE AN AFFORDABLE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT OPTION FOR ALL
MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES. Three out of five Medicare beneficiaries have
inadequate or no prescription drug coverage. In the context of
broader reform that ensures that Medicare revenues are only used for
Medicare, the President has proposed a voluntary, affordable, Medicare
prescription drug benefit for all beneficiaries.
? ENACT A MEANINGFUL PATIENT'S BILL OF RIGHTS. The majority of the U.S.
Senate supports a strong, enforceable Patients' Bill of Rights,
similar to the bipartisan Norwood-Dingell plan that passed the House
overwhelmingly over a year ago. However, the Senate Republican
leadership continues to support an alternative that leaves over 135
million people without protections and doesn?t assure that plans are
held accountable when they make decisions that harm patients.
? ENSURE EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN. The President?s $47 million Equal Pay
Initiative would train employers on wage discrimination; train women
in nontraditional jobs; and support apprenticeships and industry
partnerships. The President again will urge Congress to pass this
initiative, and the "The Paycheck Fairness Act," introduced by Senator
Tom Daschle and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, to strengthen laws
prohibiting wage discrimination.
? INSIST ON FAIRNESS FOR IMMIGRANTS. The President will reiterate his
commitment to fairness for immigrants who have been in this country
for years, working hard and paying taxes, by enacting the Latino and
Immigrant Fairness Act (LIFA) and restoring critical nutrition
assistance and health benefits for legal immigrants.
? PROTECT OUR NATION?S YOUTH AND HOLD TOBACCO COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE.
The President will call on Congress to provide the funds necessary to
support the Department of Justice?s tobacco litigation so we can hold
the tobacco companies accountable for the harm they?ve caused and give
the American people their day in court.
? PASS HATE CRIMES LEGISLATION. The President will urge Congress to
send him meaningful legislation to allow the federal prosecution of
hate crimes based on gender, disability, or sexual orientation.
? COMPLETE ITS WORK ON NATIONAL SERVICE. The President and 49 of the 50
governors have called on Congress to pass the reauthorization of
AmeriCorps and other critical national service programs this year.
This reauthorization would reaffirm and strengthen our nation?s
commitment to national service and build on the far-reaching benefits
of the national service program.
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