FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2004
Contact: Josh Freed
(202) 225-4431

DENVER, CO – U.S. Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO) backed the fiscally conservative Blue Dog alternative budget in a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives today. The Blue Dog alternative cuts the federal deficit in half in two years and restores a surplus to the budget by 2012.

“Three disastrous years of budget deficits, tax giveaways to the ultra-rich and reckless spending by the Republican Party have ravaged our economy,” said Rep. DeGette. “Three million private sector jobs have disappeared and our children and grandchildren face a crippling debt burden. I have an obligation not to leave them with this mess. That is why I am supporting the Blue Dog alternative budget, which restores fiscally sanity by adhering to the idea that we should only spend money that we have.”

Unlike the Republican budget that recklessly balloons the federal deficit to pay for tax giveaways to the ultra-rich, the Blue Dog alternative recognizes that the federal government should strive to spend only the money it has in the treasury. The Blue Dog alternative includes an extension of the $1,000 child tax credit, marriage penalty relief and expands the 10 percent bracket for an additional year. Further tax cut extensions are subject to the ability of the U.S. Treasury to pay for it. In addition, the proposal suspends tax cuts for the top two tax brackets – approximately 2 percent of taxpayers in Denver – until the costs can be offset by equivalent spending cuts.

While capping discretionary spending at $822 billion, the Blue Dog budget contains:

· $29 billion for veterans’ programs, $600 million more than the Republicans’ plan;
· $82 billion for education, $400 million more than the Republicans;
· $422 billion defense, $188 million more than the Republicans.

It would also require Members of Congress to vote on any increase in the debt limit or on any plan to waive limits on discretionary spending.

“President Bush and the Republicans continue to push an unrealistic tax-cut-and-spend budget that mortgages our nation’s future. We cannot remain on this course if we want to grow our economy and create well-paying private sector jobs for American workers,” said Rep. DeGette.

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