[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H611-H612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PRESIDENT BUSH'S FISCAL YEAR 2006 BUDGET

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Conaway). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, when President Bush submitted his budget to 
Congress last week, he said it represented his values and his 
priorities. If that is indeed the case we really should question both.
  One really has to wonder if this budget document represents his 
priorities. You will remember 2 weeks ago during his State of the Union 
address, President Bush spent the majority of that speech talking about 
his Social Security privatization plan and the continued war in Iraq. 
Supposedly these were his priorities for the upcoming year.
  And yet the President did not include the additional $80 billion 
needed to fund the Iraq war or the trillions that will be needed over 
the next decade to fund his costly Social Security privatization 
proposal in his budget.
  Mr. Speaker, it is impossible for the President to reverse our 
Nation's fiscal collapse if he continues to send incomplete budgets to 
Capitol Hill. The President can say that he is going to cut the Federal 
deficit in half in several years; but the fact is, that cannot happen 
if the President does not send us an honest budget.

[[Page H612]]

  If Social Security and the war in Iraq are the President's 
priorities, then he should have no problem placing them in his budget 
and explaining to the American people why these billions of dollars 
must be used in Iraq and on his Social Security privatization plan.
  Mr. Speaker, President Bush also said this budget represents a vision 
of his values. Now, if that is the case, one really has to question the 
President's dedication to one of government's main rules, helping those 
less fortunate. Once again, the President's budget helps provide the 
blueprint for Republicans to help the wealthiest in our Nation become 
even wealthier. That is to the detriment of middle-class and lower-
income Americans who greatly benefit from many of the programs the 
President now wants to cut or eliminate, and for what, more tax breaks 
that primarily benefit our Nation's wealthiest 1 percent?
  The President's budget shows his lack of compassion for programs that 
benefit my State of New Jersey, our middle- and lower-income families 
in particular. By drastically cutting housing, education, community 
policing environmental protection and Medicaid programs, the President 
is turning his back on middle- and lower-income families in my State of 
New Jersey.
  President Bush's budget makes substantial cuts in important education 
proposals that are important to my State. The budget provides only half 
of the funding promised for after-school programs.
  In New Jersey, these cuts will mean nearly 33,000 New Jersey children 
will no longer have access to critical after-school programs. The 
President's budget also cuts 440 million in Safe and Drug Free School 
grants, 500 million in education technology State grants, 325 million 
for the Even Start Literacy program, and 280 million for the Upward 
Bound program for inner-city youth.
  Now, this may sound like a lot of bureaucracy, but these are real 
education cuts that are going to hurt children. And yet the President 
has no problem cutting those programs while at the same time continuing 
his policy of providing large tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.
  Now, these are certainly not my values; I would hope that they were 
not the President's values. But certainly the budget says the opposite. 
The President also proposes huge cuts in the Medicaid program. Now, 
this program serves nearly 930,000 children, seniors and people with 
disabilities in my State of New Jersey.
  It is estimated that the $60 billion in cuts that the President is 
proposing will cut one-fourth of the Medicaid money sent to my State 
over the next decade. And, Mr. Speaker, New Jersey and other States 
simply cannot pick up this slack. We have a budget shortfall in New 
Jersey; we cannot pick up the Medicaid slack.
  At a time when 45 million Americans are without health care, the 
President shows absolutely no compassion for the uninsured by proposing 
these devastating health care cuts.
  The President also refused to follow through with his promise during 
last week's State of the Union address, or I should say a couple of 
weeks ago, when he said he would do everything possible to help our 
soldiers and veterans recover.
  Well, if you look at the budget, there is a pitiful half a percent, 
that is half a percent increase in veterans affairs funding. Now, that 
is a slap in the face to the millions of men and women who have fought 
for our country. Congress should not neglect these brave Americans and 
should instead reject the President's budget proposal when it comes to 
veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, finally I just want to say, the President's budget 
values and priorities are, in my opinion, not in the best interests of 
America. It is time that congressional Republicans stand up to this 
President and let him know that his priorities are not the priorities 
of their constituents, and I know they are not.
  I hope Congress will reject the President's budget proposal in the 
upcoming months in favor of one that truly takes the needs of working 
families into consideration. I think this is a very important issue; 
and I cannot stress enough, and I speak on behalf of my follow 
Democrats, in saying that the Bush budget simply cannot be allowed to 
stand.

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