For Release: Friday, December 7, 2007
Contact: David Gillies: 202-225-5661

COSTELLO VISITS PSOP PROGRAM; CALLS FOR ATTENTION TO DOMESTIC BUDGET PRIORITIES

Washington - U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL) today visited the Programs and Services for Older Persons program at Southwestern Illinois College. Costello visited with participants and staff and learned the latest about the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs. Both receive some federal funding through the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, which was vetoed by President Bush recently because it spent too much on domestic priorities.

“This is a great local organization that is making a difference in the lives of a lot of individuals and families,” said Costello. “A small fraction of the $12 billion we are spending each month in Iraq could make an even greater difference here. It is too bad that while the Iraq War has cost $750 billion, important domestic programs have been flat-funded or cut. The President is unwilling to make adjustments to his war policy or ask wealthier Americans to contribute more to that effort, while children’s health care, seniors programs and our social safety net must make do with less. I am committed to doing everything I can to invest our tax money here at home to expand programs like the Foster Grandparents program to help kids and the Senior Companion program to help our seniors instead of sending billions more for programs that the people of Iraq should be funding and running.”

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