mr. speaker , i thank the ranking member for yielding me this time . 
this is not mr. regula 's bill . 
i do not really believe it is mr. lewis ' bill . 
it is the bill that is the result of the fiscal policies we have been pursuing for the last 5 years , however . 
and let us be clear . 
the so-called new and improved labor-hhs bill is virtually identical to the conference report that the house rejected on november 17 in a bipartisan way . 
there is no reason for any member to vote for it today , in my opinion . 
it is just like the flawed first version . 
this conference report betrays our nation 's values and , i think , investment in our future . 
last week , this house majority passed more than $ 94 billion in additional tax cuts , the benefits of which go mostly to the wealthiest in america . 
this week with this bill , we are slashing discretionary spending for education , health care programs , worker training , and assistance to the most vulnerable of americans . 
that is just half of it . 
if the republican leadership gets its way , it will impose an across-the-board cut that nearly doubles the cuts in this bill to some $ 3 billion . 
let no one be mistaken . 
when push comes to shove , this majority without fail puts its friends ahead of our nation 's future . 
i do not refer to the chairman of the committee or the chairman of the subcommittee . 
now , our colleagues on the other side of the aisle can claim there is little they can do to improve the funding levels in this bill , because the fiscal policies they have pursued have put them in a position where we have insufficient funds to fund the priorities of this nation . 
they say they have no options , no alternatives . 
they say they are only complying with funding levels dictated by the republican budget resolution . 
one of my republican predecessors , mr. regula 's republican predecessor , refused to vote for the budget simply for that reason a number of years ago . 
he said , i can not do this bill within the context of the budget that is presented . 
now they want to conveniently ignore the undeniable truth . 
they voted for that budget resolution , which put them in the straits they now find themselves . 
they want to vote for draconian cuts in april and proclaim that they are getting tough on spending and then 8 months later they want to disclaim responsibility when those cuts are enacted . 
the inappropriate funding levels in this conference report are the inevitable consequence of the most irresponsible fiscal policies in the history of our nation that we are pursuing , of policies that have spawned record deficits . 
this administration started with a $ 5.6 trillion surplus . 
it is now confronted with a $ 4 trillion deficit . 
there are no fiscal conservatives on that side of the aisle , i tell my friends , of policies that this republican majority and the administration have enacted to deliberately deprive our government of the resources that it needs and that our people know our country needs . 
finally , mr. speaker , let me say that i am particularly incensed that at a time of record heating costs , the subcommittee defeated mr. obey 's amendment to provide an additional $ 2 billion for the low income home energy assistance program . 
i predict to you today , just as when we rejected funding for the veterans that we said was necessary and their health care , you are going to be back here with a supplemental funding additional energy costs for seniors . 
and , by the way , let me also say mr. obey xz4003000 had an amendment which was going to give to seniors an additional 6 months to make a determination to figure out this incredibly complex prescription drug bill that we have put on their doorstep , and that was rejected unanimously by republicans while it was unanimously supported by democrats . 
the message here , mr. speaker , is unmistakable and sad . 
while the wealthy have money to burn , the poor get to shiver in silence . 
i simply do not understand why the majority refused to adopt a second amendment , as i said , to extend time for seniors . 
we all know the reality . 
the republican prescription drug plan is so complicated and confusing that millions of seniors need and deserve more time to weigh their options . 
i urge my colleagues to vote against their conference report . 
i regrettably say that , but i think the failures contained in it compel that conclusion . 
