FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Contact: In DC - Brandon MacGillis (202) 225-4431
In CO - Chris Arend (303) 844-4988 
 

 Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO) released the following statement regarding her vote against the Republican’s FY 2007 Budget Resolution.

“This is the most fiscally irresponsibly budget I’ve seen in my 10 years in Congress.

“This heartless Republican budget drastically reduces federal funding to vital services for working families, veterans and school children.  The Republicans are making the largest cuts in education in 23 years, slashing veterans’ health care and reducing the funding for critical homeland security programs.  And after all these cuts, their budget will add trillions to the deficit over the next 10 years.

“The Democratic budget substitute that I supported balances the budget by 2012 without the harsh cuts in our domestic priorities.  Our budget would have accumulated less debt and repealed the automatic debt limit increases.  It also backs reinstatement of effective pay-as-you-go rules enforcing spending and tax cutting self restraint on Congress 

“This budget shows just how out of touch with the values of most Americans the Republican Party has become.”

Republican Cuts

a closer look

Education.  Despite record enrollment growth from pre-K to college, the House budget follows the President’s budget, which proposes the largest cuts in education in 23 years. [Committee for Education Funding, 4/2006]  It cuts discretionary appropriations for the Education Department by 3.8 percent below this year’s level, providing $15.4 billion less in funding than promised by the No Child Left Behind Act. The President’s budget denies extra math and reading help to 3.7 million children, shuts 2 million children out of after-school programs, and decreases federal commitment to special education for 6.9 million children.  These come on top of the $635 million cut in education last year. [CEF, 4/2006]
 

Student Loans.  Even as college costs have risen 40 percent since 2001, the Republican budget follows the President’s budget, which once again freezes the maximum Pell Grant for college at $4,050 –for the fourth year in a row.  The President’s budget denies more than 460,000 students low-cost loans and eliminates eight higher education programs, including GEAR-UP, TRIO Upward Bound, and TRIO Talent Search.  These Republican cuts come just two months after Republicans voted to raid federal student aid programs by $12 billion.
 

Health Care.  The Republican budget also follows the President’s budget on health care, freezing NIH funding and cutting funding for cancer and heart disease research.  The shortfall in public health programs is $18 billion over five years, including prevention programs at the Center for Disease Control and rural health activities.  The budget continues overpayments to HMOs of $63 billion over the next 10 years, instead of improving the Bush Prescription drug plan by extending enrollment deadlines without penalty and reducing the donut hole.  It also allows cuts in physician payments of 4 to 5 percent over the next five years, jeopardizing the health care of Medicare recipients.
 
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