Date: 1981-05-04
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to Indicate my support for House Resolution 115. the first concurrent budget resolution as reported by the Hou se Budget Committee. This proposed budget is a sensible and decent one. more cautious about inflation than the administrations proposal and more humane In its spending reductions. In addition to keeping the Government on the road toward a balanced budgetin fact. it projects eliminating the Federal deficit a full year ahead of that predicted by the Presidentthis proposal also reorders this Nations priorities by restoring billions of dollars to social programs that provide aid and comfort to millions of disadvantaged Americans. This "counterbudget" Is more compassionate In its cuts. contrasting starkly to the Draconian. "let the chips fall where they may" approach to budget cutting advocated by the administration. Moreover. it insures that the burden of resolving our Nations economic difficulties will be shared by all Americans. not Just those who can least afford It. In the area of education. for example. we have made significant restorations of money that will help insure that a proper education Is afforded to our children. Restored is approximately threefifths of the funds for elementary and secondary education that the administration proposed to cut. Specifically. we have restored $500 million for student loans. $200 million for basic educational block grants. $600. million for employment and training and enough money to restore vocational education assistance to Its fiscal year 1981 level. These actions will become welcome news to the people of the Virgin Islands who. in a recerit poll. indicated that education would be the Governments top priority for Improvementeven ahead of our muchneeded electric and water supply Improvements. Regarding benefits for veterans. this proposal Is much more generous. As the Representative of the district that has. on a per capita basis. the highest percentage of Vietnam veterans of any other State. I can assure you that Virgin Islanders will welcome the extra $600 million that Is provided for medical care and research. I believe that we owe a special debt of gratitude to those who have "borne the battle" that should not be. cast aside under the guise of fiscal austerity. This budget Is a step toward paying off that debt owed to those thousands of unselfish men and women who have provided for the safety and wellbeing of their fellow countrymen. All in all. this proposed budget provides $7 billion more than the administration would for social programs. This still means that most of them will suffer cuts. however. the sting will certainly be less severe. For example. food stamp and child nutrition spending would be reduced by $1 billion each versus the Presidents recommendations of $1.7 billion and $2.1 billion. The Legal Services Corporation. which provides free counsel to the Indigent In civil cases and which was targeted for extinction by the administration. would be saved temporarilg. The medicaid program will receive an additional $700 million. Similar examples abound. Mr. Speaker. in the last speech he ever gave to the Senate. Hubert Humphrey waxed eloquent when he said: The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life. the children. those who are in the twilight of life. the aged. and those who are in the shadows of life. the sick. the needy and the handicapped. The grave moral crisis facing this Congress is how to get our economic house In order without wreaking havoc on the lives of those less fortunate than us. This budget confronts that dilemma head on and resolves It with flying colors. and I am pleased to Indicate my support for it.