For Immediate Release
Friday, October 03, 2003
Statement from AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee on the American Parity Act
This bill would create jobs, jumpstart America's economic recovery, help state and local governments overcome their record budget gaps, and protect vital public services like Medicaid, education, health care and public safety. This bill offers a simple solution to the Bush recession and the loss of more than three million jobs on the President's watch.
We need to protect our troops in Iraq and take care of domestic priorities here in the United States. If Congress can find the money to strengthen post-war Iraq and Afghanistan, they should be able to find $20.3 billion to rebuild our own country. If we spent $20.3 billion here in the U.S., we could start rebuilding America's infrastructure and create more than two million new jobs.
Congress should balance any new funding for Bush's $20.3 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan with equal funding to rebuild America, as proposed in the "American Parity Act," H.R. 1738.
We've got 64 million Americans with inadequate health insurance or no health insurance at all. Instead of talking about universal health care for Iraq, let's cover everyone here at home. If the Bush administration wants to rebuild a nation, they should rebuild America. Strengthen America's health care. Modernize our public schools. Rebuild our roads, bridges, and tunnels. Rebuild America.
During the last three years, state and local governments have suffered the severest budget crises since World War II, forcing significant cuts to public schools and colleges, health care programs, public safety and more. Our nation's children, seniors and working families need and deserve adequate funding for the public services they depend on which keep America vital and strong.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, is the nation's largest and fastest growing public service employees union with 1.4 million members. AFSCME organizes for social and economic justice in the workplace and through political and legislative advocacy.
