[Page H2410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1815
                           CHILDREN'S BUDGET

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, this happens to be Women's History 
Month. I will continue to salute the dynamic women of this Nation.
  I rise today as a founder and cochair of the Congressional Children's 
Caucus and indicate to my colleagues that I believe we are overdue for 
naming children as our number one priority. Working with First Focus, I 
intend to introduce a children's budget for the needs of our children. 
We have left children behind. Many times, the issues around children 
are discussed in a partisan way. Who wants early childhood education? 
Who wants universal pre-K or around-the-clock child care?
  In actuality, the consumers and beneficiaries of funding for those 
very important issues are our children. We should give them the 
security, protection, and resources to prevent child abuse and for 
bringing families together and providing intervention for families that 
are troubled that result in not only child abuse, but violence against 
these children.
  What about the best education they can have? What about the best 
health care they can have?
  Mr. Speaker, children are our number one priority. I truly believe 
that a children's budget in the United States of America is long 
overdue.
  Join me on the children's budget.

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