Barbara Lee Disappointed in Senate Republicans Blocking of Omnibus Appropriations Package
For Immediate Release
December 18, 2010
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) commented Senate Republicans efforts to block the passage of the FY11 Omnibus Appropriations package.
“By blocking the FY11 Omnibus Appropriations bill the Senate Republicans sent forth the message that the American people are not worth investing in,” said Congresswoman Lee.
“What some would call pork I call a vital investment in education, job training, healthcare, alternative energy, and local law enforcement to ensure the continued prosperity of our nation.
“In my district alone, this bill would have made investments in a number of critical projects and programs that would have helped put people back to work.”
"Only in Congress are common sense projects like these considered pork - but funding for the corrupt Karzai regime and tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires are considered vital and necessary,” said Congresswoman Lee.
“The American people deserve a government that works for them, and that is willing to invest in them to ensure that they can get a good education, live healthy and productive lives, obtain meaningful employment, and raise their children in a just and peaceful world.
"Furthermore, the Congress is charged by the Constitution with determining how the federal budget should be spent, precisely so that Members of Congress can ensure that their local and state interests are fully represented in the mix. It turns our system of government upside down to suggest -- as those who rail against "pork" do -- that the Congress should just roll over and accept what a President proposes for spending. The President's proposed budget may or may not be the right starting point -- but it cannot under our system of government be considered the end of the debate."
“It is clear that Republicans do not want our budget to reflect those values. Instead they would rather continue to give tax cuts to the rich and the fat cats on Wall Street for billion dollar bonuses and golden parachutes.
“I say we must have a budget that takes care of the least of these – that is our moral obligation to the people of this country.”
All told the proposed Senate omnibus bill contained $12.5 million for an array of 25 projects in Congresswoman Lee's district, including:
- City of Oakland, Oakland, CA Restorative Justice - $300,000
- East Bay Community Law Center, Berkeley, CA Clean Slate Clinic for Community Re-entry & Reintegration - $250,000
- Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center, Oakland, CA Nonviolence Leadership Program -$250,000
- Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth, Oakland, CA Restorative Alternatives: Youth Diversion and Re-entry Program - $250,000
- Chabot Space and Science Center - $800,000
- Children’s Hospital Integrated Patient Electronic Records System - $800,000
- Oakland Harbor '(50 Foot Project Construction), CA - $2,087,000
- Oakland Harbor (Operations and Maintenance), CA - $1,916,000
- Economic Vitality of Minority Businesses in Oakland, Oakland African American Chamber Foundation, Oakland, CA – $150,000
- BEST Program for Port of Oakland Truckers, Hispanic Business Education & Training Inc., Oakland, CA - $150,000
- Economic Vitality of Asian Minority Businesses Program, Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, Oakland, CA - $150,000
- City of Berkeley for stormwater management improvement - $782,000
- Emery Unified School District, Emeryville, CA for a summer internship program for youth - $235,000
- City of Berkeley, CA for education and other support services to low-income pregnant women and new parents - $250,000
- Alameda County Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS Administration, Oakland, CA for an HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and testing initiative - $500,000
- Cypress Mandela Training Center, Incorporated, Oakland, CA for a pre-apprenticeship program -$275,000
- East Bay Spanish Speaking Citizens Foundation, Oakland, CA for job training and employment services - $250,000
- Oakland Unified School District, Oakland, CA for supporting the science system and smart center, including equipment - $355,000
- Peralta Community College District, Oakland CA for the Maximum Achievement Project, which may include the purchase of equipment - $250,000
- Youth Radio, Oakland, CA for training of at-risk youth for employment in the media industry - $250,000
- Girls Incorporated of Alameda - $250,000
- County, San Leandro, CA for an after-school academic enrichment program, including equipment and technology - $250,000
- Eden Housing, Hayward, CA, for support of an after school program - $450,000
- ACPWA: “Sidewalk Construction in Ashland, Cherryland and Castro Valley Communities, Alameda County, CA” - $200,000
- ACCMA: “I-80/Gilman Street Interchange Improvement Project, Berkeley, CA” - $1,000,000
- WETA: “Berkeley Ferry Service, CA” - $500,000
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