Congressional Black Caucus Rebuts Bush

August 1, 2003

Congressional Black Caucus Rebuts Bush

by Christian Morrow

New Pittsburgh Courier

PITTSBURGH (NNPA)- Almost immediately after President
George W. Bush’s address to the National Urban League at
the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, U.S. Rep.
Elijah Cummings borrowed a phrase from radio commentator
Paul Harvey, calling a press conference to give "the
other side of the story." As chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus, Cummings said Bush failed to
mention his party under-funded his No Child Left Behind
Act by cutting $9 billion.

Cummings said Bush also failed to give the caucus credit
for spearheading the issue of combating AIDS in Africa.

"And the first thing he did after his trip to Africa was
to slash the funding from $3 billion a year for five
years to $2 billion," said Cummings. "That’s the other
side of the story."

Prior to the president’s speech, which focused largely
on social problems, the economy and education, Cummings
said he asked guests at a power breakfast to keep four
questions in mind as Bush spoke:

Is it a statement of our national values to give massive
tax cuts to those who need it the least, while denying
child tax credits to $2.4 million African-Americans?;

To pass tax cuts for the rich while shortchanging
education by $9 billion, under-funding the NCLB,
freezing student aid and funding to historically Black
colleges;

To cut taxes, when, for a fraction of the cost, every
child up to age 18 could have universal health care and
drug benefits could be given to every senior citizen,
and

Is it a statement of our values to dismantle Head Start,
which has expanded opportunities for every child?

"He wants poor people to rely on faith-based charities,
but he gives his friends tax cuts," said Cummings. "He’s
using a tired old trickle-down economic theory everybody
knows doesn’t work and over 2 million African-Americans
are unemployed."

Cummings said he and Rev. Jesse Jackson briefly met with
Bush in private after the speech, and said they were
pleased he had sent naval vessels to the waters off
Liberia. He said Bush was still noncommittal on meeting
with the CBC.

"I am optimistic about our helping Liberia, and less so
about him meeting with the caucus," said Cummings. U.S.
Rep. Artur Davis, D-Alabama, the only other member of
the caucus who arrived in Pittsburgh early enough to
hear Bush, said he thought there was a disconnect
between the president’s conscience and conduct.

"He does a very good job rhetorically, very inspiring,"
said Davis. "But the people who craft his speeches
clearly don’t talk to the people who craft his policy."

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