| Clyburn On President's Budget
More of the Same, Deficit Society
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kristie Greco : (202) 226-3210
WASHINGTON, DC—House Majority Whip James Clyburn (SC-6) today commented on the president’s Fiscal Year 2008 federal budget, which was delivered to Congress this week. Following are his remarks.
“What we see in this budget is more of the same from the Deficit President. He uses accounting gimmicks like unrealistic war spending and a short-term fix to the AMT, and he spends the Social Security and Medicare trust funds to balance the budget. An honest look shows his budget adds $3.2 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years. But that’s not the only deficit he’s creating.
“He’s creating an education deficit by under-funding No Child Left Behind by $15 million. He’s creating a housing deficit by eliminating the Hope VI program. He’s creating a security deficit by cutting funding for the COPS program. He’s creating a health care deficit for our veterans who served this country honorably by slashing funding for veterans health care and increasing premiums and co-pays; and for all Americans by slashing funding for Medicare and Medicaid by $300 billion over 10 years.
“These deficits are created to make room for the president’s tax cuts for wealthy Americans. Democrats believe that we don’t have to balance the budget on the backs of the less-fortunate. The budget is a moral document, it outlines your values and priorities. Democrats will prepare a fair budget that meets the needs of all Americans, rather than the privileged few.”
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