[News-releases] Senate Budget Jeopardizes Families

SENATE BUDGET SIDE-SHOW JEOPARDIZES OUR FAMILIES

April 12, 2003

Statement of National Organization for Women President Kim Gandy

Have they no decency? The United States Senate yesterday resembled a circus 
side show, practicing the old shell game of now you see it, now you don't. 
While on paper they passed a cut resembling the House's $550 billion 
giveaway to millionaires, Senators promised that they didn't mean it and 
would hold the line at the already-indecent $350 billion cut. A close 
inspection of their postures may well show their fingers crossed behind 
their backs.

Women are tired of those sorry promises. We've heard them before and all 
we've seen from them are empty cupboards, fewer jobs and reduced 
circumstances. Where is the voice for our concerns, our future, our health, 
our children's safety and well-being?

With a one-vote margin provided by Vice President Cheney, the Senate bowed 
to the will of the President and the run-amok leaders of the House. 
Reminiscent of the one vote margin that propelled George W. Bush into the 
White House, the country's budget and tax policy is being determined by a 
similar one vote margin, cast by a man whose primary interest appears to be 
gaining non-competitive federal contracts for his former company, 
Halliburton, to rebuild the country that has been razed under his direction.

States and cities are closing down after school programs, taking families 
off Medicaid, and cutting vital human needs programs. There are no jobs to 
pull impoverished families into economic security, and we are losing more 
jobs daily. Welfare mothers are being required to work more hours - whether 
or not additional shifts are available for them to work, and whether or not 
they have adequate child care for the additional hours.

Our nation is at war, for better or worse. The cost is at least $80 billion 
dollars and could be as much as $200 billion. This is NOT the time for any 
tax cut, not $350 billion, not $550 billion. Where is the sanity and 
compassion? Where is the common sense?

We call on the House and the Senate to shed the false promises and make 
real commitments to their constituents - not just to their large donors or 
their own post-Congressional pocketbooks. Scratch your junkets this spring 
and go home to your states and districts and talk to the real people you 
represent. Come back and work on a tax bill that puts real money into real 
people's pockets. Work to improve programs that give every one in this 
country - not just the wealthy ones - a real step up.

The 211 House members and 50 Senators who heeded our real needs and 
attempted to provide a saner budget with some semblance of fairness deserve 
our thanks. We will work to readjust the thinking of the others or replace 
them at the polls in November, 2004.


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Gandy is available for further comment. To schedule an interview, please 
contact NOW's Media Relations Office at 202-628-8669, ext. 116.

This release is available on the web at: 
http://www.now.org/press/04-03/04-12.html