[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 19, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H2112-H2113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE ON THE BUDGET RESOLUTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bonner). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk further about the budget. 
Much has been said, and I will not go over it, that this budget, as we 
now have our thoughts and prayers with our troops overseas, does not 
even include any mention of the war, of the cost of the war. It does 
not include funding for first responders adequately. It does not 
adequately fund education and special education. It would force cuts to 
VA benefits.
  But let me just address two matters that I think really should be 
underscored that are failings in this budget. One has to do with 
Medicare.
  I have heard Members on both sides of the aisle speak passionately 
about the need for prescription medicine coverage, yet the majority's 
budget resolution contains only $28 billion in new spending, when the 
lowest estimates for this kind of funding are about $400 billion. In 
other words, if this is going to happen, it would pull money not out of 
thin air, but it would pull money out of Medicare, other Medicare 
programs and out of Medicaid spending. That will not work.
  In the area of research and development, our investment in science, 
research and development is a necessary investment to provide the 
growth in productivity that is required, that is really postulated for 
this budget resolution. That growth will not come unless we invest in 
research and development.
  NIH funding, which was previously on a doubling path, the majority 
seems to think little of the achievements of the NIH researchers in 
hemophilia, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer's and all of these other 
areas. Their budget reduces appropriated health programs by almost 5 
percent in 2004.
  With the looming war in Iraq, with the continued instability in the 
Middle East, with the threat of global climate change, you would think 
we would be increasing our funding for research in carbon reduction in 
fuels, but the funding for the Department of Energy's Office of Science 
remains flat. So, these are major shortcomings in the budget.
  I see my friend from New York on his feet, and I would be pleased to 
yield to the gentleman.
  (Mr. ISRAEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and let 
me thank the gentleman from the other side for accommodating us.
  Mr. Speaker, I supported tax cuts in 2001. That was before 9/11. That 
was before our war on terrorism. That was before a potential war in 
Iraq. That was before we had new homeland needs. But today the world is 
different. We have new challenges. We have to make sure that our 
budgets keep pace with those challenges and are responsible in adapting 
to those challenges.
  We cannot send young people into an unfunded battle in Iraq tonight 
and slash their veterans benefits when they come home tomorrow by $15 
billion. We cannot offer the deepest tax cuts to the very richest and 
balance budgets on the backs of those who are fighting on our fronts.
  I represent some constituents who would benefit greatly by a tax cut 
at the top brackets. I cannot think of a single one who would come up 
to me at

[[Page H2113]]

a Support Our Troops rally or a reservist center and say, 
``Congressman, I will take my $90,000 tax cut now, and I don't care if 
veterans have to stand in longer lines, have shortages of beds or can't 
get into VA hospitals tomorrow.''
  We all want to engage in shared sacrifice. We are at a critical time 
in our Nation's history. Our first obligation has to be to our seniors 
and those fighting for our freedom in Iraq and other dangerous places 
in the world. We cannot cut their beds, their budgets; we cannot 
balance tax cuts on their backs.
  So I am hopeful that the Members of this body on both sides of the 
aisle will review these budgets and get back to the real priorities of 
America, taking care of our senior citizens, taking care of our 
veterans, making sure that we are meeting our obligations to them, 
taking care of our children, and making sure that their future is not 
laced with deficits and that we are not balancing budgets on their 
backs as well.

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