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News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
For Immediate Release
Contact: Betsy Hart, 202-226-8555

HERSETH SANDLIN: PRESIDENT’S BUDGET SHORTCHANGES SOUTH DAKOTA

Misguided Priorities Would Underfund Water Projects, Veterans, National Children’s Study and Native Americans

President Completely Zeroes Out Funding for Lewis and Clark

February 4, 2008 - President George W. Bush today released his budget blueprint for fiscal year 2009, recommending significant cuts to essential programs that benefit South Dakotans, including water projects, veterans’ benefits, the National Children’s Study and resources for programs that serve Native Americans. In a particularly surprising and misguided cut, the President recommended completely zero funding the Lewis and Clark Regional Water Project.

Herseth Sandlin said, “Budgets are all about priorities and making tough decisions, and unfortunately, President Bush has clearly demonstrated with this budget that he lacks understanding of the needs or priorities of South Dakotans. In particular, I am extremely disappointed that the President did not allocate any funding for the Lewis and Clark Regional Water Project, one of the most important infrastructure projects in this entire region of the country. This project must be built in order provide safe drinking water to hundreds of thousands of homes, farms, and businesses, and it is unacceptable for the federal government to shirk its share of the funding responsibility. I will work diligently with my colleagues to provide that project with the resources it needs to continue its construction on schedule. Unfortunately, this severely misguided budget will make that task much more difficult.”

Despite assurances to the South Dakota delegation in December from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Jim Nussle, that the budget would reflect the nation’s “highest priorities,” the president's budget proposes no funding for Lewis and Clark Rural Water System and only a total of $26.24 million for Mni Wiconi. The drastic reduction and zeroing out of funding for these projects puts their completion in jeopardy and threatens the ability of thousands of South Dakotans to access clean drinking water. Herseth Sandlin added, “It’s important to remember that this budget is only a recommended blueprint. I will work, along with the delegation and with committed community leaders, to craft a budget that is a more fair representation of South Dakota’s priorities.”

Outside of the expansive infrastructure projects in the state, the budget places other significant burdens on many South Dakotans. The budget again proposes annual enrollment fees and increasing pharmacy co-payments for certain veterans. Herseth Sandlin said, "Shifting the burden for veterans health care to veterans themselves is immoral and would break our promise to the men and women who have served and sacrificed." President Bush made a similar proposal in his budget for FY 2008. Rep. Herseth Sandlin joined with a bipartisan group of Members of Congress to defeat that proposal, and will lead a similar effort this year.

Additionally, the President’s budget request this year, like last year, seeks to eliminate future funding for the National Children’s Study (NCS), which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children. South Dakota State University in Brookings is one of seven NCS Vanguard Centers around the country. Last year, Congress provided $110.9 million for the NCS, which included an estimated $2.5 million for SDSU. Rep. Herseth Sandlin will follow up on her efforts in previous years to secure full funding for the NCS. If the NCS is fully funded again this year, SDSU is estimated to receive $3.65 million.

The president's budget request also cuts vital programs and funds that serve Native Americans. According to the Department of Health and Human Services Budget in Brief for Fiscal Year 2009, the president’s overall request for Indian Health Service is $4.261 billion, a $21 million decrease from the FY08 budget of $4.282 billion. And, for the third year in a row, the president has failed to request any funds for the Urban Indian Health Care Program, despite bipartisan support in previous years to fund the program. Eliminating the Urban Indian Health Program would threaten important health centers in Pierre, Aberdeen, and Sioux Falls. Furthermore, the President’s budget includes no funding for Johnson-O’Malley Education Assistance Grants, a $14 million cut from FY08. Nor does the President request funding for the BIA Housing Improvement Program which, by the Administration’s own description, “provides housing to Indian families who have no other resources for housing.” Finally, proposed funding for infrastructure improvements on reservations was cut from 2008 levels. Claiming that tribes have access to reservation road funding through the Department of Transportation, the President proposed reducing Bureau of Indian Affairs Road Maintenance funding by 13 million. Additionally, the President’s request for construction funds for Bureau of Indian Education funded schools was cut from $317 million 2008 to $140 million in 2009.

Herseth Sandlin noted that she was pleased to see an increase in funding for Tribal Law Enforcement and Public Safety from $210 million in FY08 to approximately $235 million in FY09. Herseth Sandlin said, “It’s encouraging that the Bureau of Indian Affairs intends to increase the number of law enforcement officers and to further crack down on methamphetamine trafficking and related crimes in Indian Country. I urge the BIA to focus these increases in regions such as the Great Plains, where South Dakota tribes and BIA authorities are responsible for protecting large land bases. Despite these increases, however, I am disappointed that the President’s request does not include increased funding for tribal law enforcement facility construction which would dovetail efforts with the BIA’s efforts increase public safety efforts in Indian country.”

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