WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) today took to the Senate floor to speak in support of the Democratic Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2009.  Following the speech, Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), Chairman of the Budget Committee, praised Akaka for his contributions to the budget process, especially his advocacy on behalf of Veterans. 

The following are Sen. Akaka's remarks as prepared for delivery:

This Budget Resolution will lower our taxes and create hundreds-of-thousands of new jobs for Americans.  In addition, I am very pleased that this budget resolution honors our nation's veterans by providing the necessary funds for our wounded warriors.  

The resolution passed by the Budget Committee last Thursday will balance our federal budget by 2012, and fund programs that are critical to the health and safety of Americans.  It provides tax relief to middle-income Americans, honors our fighting men and women in the armed forces, - shows respect for our wounded and disabled veterans, - and ensures the continued safety and security of our nation.

By focusing on the real needs of Americans and reviving our slowing economy, the budget resolution seeks to restore balance: balance to our finances and balance to our priorities for America.  The budget resolution increases funding for veterans' health care, and children's health care.  It provides a substantial increase over the President's budget for education and Head Start. It promotes greater energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.  It extends middle-class tax cuts like marriage-penalty relief and the child-tax credit, and it brings more middle class Americans into the 10-percent tax bracket.  The budget resolution also invests in building and repairing roads, bridges, harbors, airports and schools - because we recognize that our economic success depends on public infrastructure investment.

As Chairman Conrad has noted, this budget is only a first step.  But it is an important first step to reach our goal of long-term fiscal security.  I am prepared to join Chairman Conrad in this important mission to balance our budget, restore our military readiness, honor our commitment to troops and veterans, and enhance our national security.  I urge my colleagues to do the same. It is time that we provide a real future for our children and our country.

The following is a transcript of Chairman Conrad's comments immediately following Akaka's speech:

I want to thank the senator from Hawaii for his kind remarks.  I also want to thank him for the enormous contribution he made to the work of the Budget Committee, especially with respect to funding for Veterans Affairs and specifically veterans' health care.  One of the things I'm most proud about in this budget is that we are showing a $3.2 billion increase over what the President requested for veterans' health care, because I think the vast majority of us recognize the extraordinary ongoing need for improvements to veterans' health care.  Our veterans have made an enormous commitment to this country, and we must keep our commitment to them.  Last year as the Chair will recall, the budget contained the largest increase for veterans' health care in our history, and be this year we have another significant increase that largely parallels the budget proposed by the veterans' organizations themselves in recognition of the extraordinary need that exists.

Audio (mp3) excerpts of Akaka's and Conrad's remarks are available by clicking here.

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