Fight For A Common Sense Budget

Congress recently passed a health and education bill with much needed help for our workers, veterans and children.

But President Bush vetoed the bill. Apparently he’d rather spend half a trillion in Iraq than provide a fraction of that for our needs here at home. And this week, Congress will have the chance to override Bush’s veto.

The White House has called the bill “wasteful.” In fact, the funding contained in this labor, health and education bill is absolutely critical. Among other things, it contains:

$3.4 billion for state unemployment insurance and employment services.
$340 million to strengthen mine safety protections.
$183 million to enforce wage and hour laws.
$37 billion for school districts across America.
$16.4 billion to lower costs of student loans.
$2 billion for affordable, high-quality child care for low-income families.
$7 billion for Head Start programs.
$2.2 billion for community health centers.

The U.S. House passed the bill with strong bipartisan support and came up just three votes shy of a veto-proof majority.

Talking Points

The Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill provides funding for America’s biggest priorities—worker safety, job training, health services, Head Start, cancer research, veterans’ health, education and more.

President Bush can’t find the money to spend on America’s domestic priorities, and yet he’s called for hundreds of billions of dollars more in spending for the Iraq war.

The President isn’t willing to spend $9.8 billion on important programs like health care, education, job training, and home heating assistance, but he’s asking for another $196 billion to continue his war in Iraq.

It's not fiscally responsible, and it's not fair to make working people pay the costs and then to hold hostage the programs and dollars that their families need.

If we can find billions of dollars for the Iraq war, we can find the money for vital needs back here in America.

This is a bipartisan bill supported by over 50 Republicans. There has been virtually no criticism of its contents. It is clear the only reason the president vetoed this bill is pure politics.

Bush’s veto came the same day a new report showed that the total price tag for the war in Iraq could reach $3.5 trillion.

The war price tag for a family of four is $20,900 for costs incurred between 2002 and 2008.

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Send a letter to the following decision maker(s).

(Below is a sample letter):

Subject: Bring Common Sense to the Administration's Priorities

Dear Congressman __________:

I urge you to vote to override Bush's veto of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill. The bill contains badly needed investments in vital services for veterans, children, health care and job training.

If we can find billions of dollars for the Iraq war, we can find the money for vital needs back here in America.

Again, please support passage of this bill over the Bush veto to provide funding for America's top priorities.

Sincerely,