Date: 2006-06-21
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

You know. you are just absolutely right. because what we are talking about is the direction that we would take this country in if we were given an opportunity. that we would expand access to health care and make sure the 46 million people who dont have it now. that far more. if not all of them. would have it. that we would truly invest in exploring alternative energy resources so that oil was not our only option. that we would make sure. and we committed. We had a town hall meeting with 30somethings with Leader PELOsI and Ranking Member MILLER. had a town hall meeting just the other day where we talked about that on the first day that we take the majority back in this House of Representatives and Leader PELOSI becomes Speaker PELOSI. we would halve the interest rate on federally subsidized loans. literally saving potential college kids thousands and thousands of dollars. But you know what? The attitude of the administration and the Republican leadership. Mr. MEEK. you said you are sick and tired. I think people are sick and tired of being sick and tired. And I think that Americans have reached that point. And it never ceases to amaze me what their leaders. what the Republican leaders actually say. I mean. that they say out loud. never mind the thoughts they harbor. because you know we will obviously never. we can only guess what those are. But what they say is unbelievable. A few days ago we sadly marked the death. we were talking about the war in Iraq and how they have no plan. that this is an interminable war that has no end in sight. no plan. no ability to phase ourselves out. The other day we marked the death of the 2.500th soldier. American soldier. And White House spokesman Tony Snow said this about that milestone. He said. "It is a number. and every time there is one of these 500 benchmarks. people want something." Yeah. They want no more kids to die. They want no more of our American men and women to die needlessly without any possibility in the near future of knowing that they are coming home. A number? Sure. There are plenty of numbers that we could throw out there. the numbers that people care about beyond just 2.500 of our soldiers being lost. For example. 18.490 American troops were wounded in Iraq. And we have thirdparty validation for all of these. About 40.000 Iraqis have been killed. beyond the American troops. $8.8 billion. Here are some more numbers: $8.8 billion is the amount of Iraqi reconstruction funds the military has failed to account for. according to the Department of Defenses inspector general. 68 journalists killed in Iraq. 2.2 million Active Duty soldiers and veterans at risk of identity theft. Actually that is more. Now with the theft of the computer it is 26.5 million. 382 days since Vice President CHENEY claimed the insurgency was in its last throes. Ask the parents of the two American soldiers that were kidnapped and killed by insurgents the other day if they think that the insurgency is in its last throes. 1.140 days since President Bush declared mission accomplished in Iraq. 37 million people living in poverty in the United States. 13 million children living in poverty in the United States. $8.375.365.051.008.48. That is the amount of the deficit. yet tomorrow we are going to consider an estate tax .that benefits 5.000 people. 45.8 million Americans without health insurance. just to be exact. $16.000. which is the median debt of graduates of public colleges. $20.000 is the median debt of graduates of private colleges. yet after July 1. the interest rates for a college loan will be hiked up significantly. thanks to the Republicans leadership here. $36 billion Exxon/Mobils profits last year. more than any other corporation in history. Those are the numbers that the Republicans should find important.