MR. AKAKA--Mr. President, I rise to speak in opposition to the conference report for the Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Resolution and associate my remarks with those of many of my colleagues. My reasons start with missed opportunities and misplaced priorities, added to fiscal irresponsibility. I could support this measure if it provided enough funding for education. For veterans. For health care. For law enforcement. But it fails in many ways in these areas and, instead, gives priority to tax cuts largely for the well-off. It also masks the full story by leaving out recent war costs, estimated costs for the President's reform plan for Social Security, and costs for fixing the Alternative Minimum Tax that is extending into the middle class.
It is terrible that the conference report includes tax cuts of $70 billion that will drive our nation further and further into debt. Moreover, it is dismaying that these tax cuts would be funded at the expense of working families. Health care costs are increasing. Our health care providers are confronted with inadequate reimbursements, rising costs, and an increasing demand to provide care for the uninsured. I have met with many of my own constituents, particularly doctors, nurses, and administrators, who have conveyed to me their deep concerns with their ability to continue to provide treatment for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries because the reimbursement costs are so low. The providers are unable to adequately meet their costs of providing care to beneficiaries.
The reductions in Medicaid included in the budget resolution will lead to further cuts in coverage and benefits for people without other health insurance. The cuts will prevent individuals from being able to access health care, which will increase the burden on our public health system. The Medicaid cuts will further erode the ability of hospitals, clinics, physicians, and other medical providers to meet the health care needs of our communities.
Medicaid programs are demanding a larger share of State spending than they have in recent years. Reducing the Federal commitment to Medicaid will push additional costs to the States and increase the number of people who are uninsured or under-insured. Shifting the burden of providing essential health care services to States and to providers is irresponsible. We need to work together to slow health care costs, but not by cutting programs on which so many people depend.
Medicaid is an essential part of the public safety net in my state, where Medicaid and QUEST provided essential health services to nearly 190,000 people in 2002. QUEST is Hawaii's Medicaid expansion program that provides health coverage through managed care plans for eligible lower-income residents. Medicaid is an essential part of the health care safety net in all of our states. Denying treatment to people in need to support more reckless tax cuts for the wealthy is a significant mistake. Cuts in Medicaid and other programs, such as Medicare, will cause real pain to real people.
I am deeply frustrated that we are no longer able to move legislation forward that expands access to health care. Instead, access is being reduced through poorly thought out arbitrary cuts that will have detrimental effects on working families across the country.
Mr. President, the conference report also fails veterans. VA hospitals and clinics are already in difficult financial straits. Hospitals are millions of dollars in the red. Outdated medical equipment cannot be replaced. Nursing home beds are being closed. And large groups of veterans are being denied care. If the level of funding included in the Budget Resolution comes to fruition, things will continue to deteriorate.
It is abundantly clear that VA needs an additional $2.8 billion more than it was provided last year. The conference report does not include this level of funding. I remind my colleagues that payroll and inflation increases for doctors, nurses, and medications cost more than $1 billion.
Simply maintaining current services may not be enough to ensure that VA can meet the health care needs of veterans. Chronic illnesses of our aging veterans population and newly recognized challenges -- such as the need to shape new programs for veterans affected by hepatitis C -- will further strain VA's resources. We must anticipate increased and changing demands for treating complex diseases, such as hepatitis C, and ensure that veterans with multiple, overlapping medical problems receive all the treatment that they need. Additionally, we must be certain that VA has the resources it needs to care for those servicemembers returning from Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. This became all the more important when the Senate rejected my amendment to add funding for VA to the War Supplemental.
The Budget Resolution does nothing to provide the resources to rescind the ban on Priority 8 veterans from coming to VA for care. So far, 192,260 veterans have been turned away across the country, including 502 in my home state of Hawaii. We are even starting to see other groups of veterans being denied access to care. This sends the wrong message to our troops overseas.
When you add up payroll and inflation, new workload, and new initiatives, and factor in funding to support rescinding the ban on Priority 8 veterans, it is my view that VA needs at least a $2.8 billion increase in funding for FY06. The Budget Resolution falls short.
Mr. President, every time we work on a budget resolution I have to ask why education continues to be behind the curve. We tried to fix the anticipated cuts in education funding when the resolution was considered by this body in March, and although we were rebuffed on most amendments offered by my side of the aisle, I was heartened to see several of my colleagues across the aisle vote with us on the Kennedy higher education and workforce amendment.
Unfortunately, although the Senate spoke, conferees did not agree. Rather than sticking with the Senate position on important programs such as career and technical education, GEAR UP, TRIO, and workforce investment, the conference report before us continues to underfund or outright eliminate funding that these programs require to be successful. In addition, the conference report does nothing to cover the funding shortfall for No Child Left Behind compliance or to restore funding to 48 education programs recommended for termination in the President's budget. The list of programs includes the Excellence in Economic Education Act, which I authored to combat economic and financial literacy in grades K through 12.
Mr. President, with regard to cuts in the area of first responders and law enforcement, the conference report slashes certain major programs, including the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The package cuts over $1 billion in aid to state and local law enforcement and completely eliminates the COPS hiring program -- both universal and school resource officers -- in what is the fourth year in a row where such cuts are being made. During consideration of the budget in the Senate, an amendment attempted to restore funding to this vital program. Unfortunately, this, too, was not adopted.
In addition, the budget would deny resources to many of our first responders: firefighters, police, EMS workers and other first responders. The budget creates a shortfall of more than $1.6 billion with cuts to first responder programs, including the State Homeland Security grant program, Urban Area Security Initiative, firefighter assistance grants, the COPS program as I mentioned before, and Byrne Justice Assistance grants. An amendment to restore funding to our first responders was considered when the Senate took up the budget in March; however, we were again unsuccessful in restoring funding to these programs.
Mr. President, it is clear to me that this budget conference report fails families and communities across this country, including in my state of Hawaii. For these many reasons, I am unable to support the conference report.
