[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 154 (Friday, November 18, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MARTIN T. MEEHAN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 17, 2005

  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the Republican budget 
bill.
  Unfortunately, this bill is just another example of the disdain that 
this administration and this Congress has shown for the most vulnerable 
in our society. While the wealthy are lavished with tax cuts, critical 
social services are being reduced.
  Under the guise of offsetting the costs of Katrina and deficit 
reduction, House Republicans are severely cutting important programs 
that millions of Americans rely on for education, health care, and 
poverty alleviation. The $50 billion in Republican cuts will have a 
devastating impact on families across America and in my home State of 
Massachusetts.
  At the same time, Republicans are pushing a $70 billion tax package 
that will overwhelmingly benefit the most wealthy Americans and 
actually increases the deficit by $16 billion.
  Now, I support the idea of shared sacrifice but the only sacrifice in 
this bill is by those that need our government's support the most: 
$14.3 billion, cut from student loans; $11.4 billion, cut from 
Medicaid; $4.9 billion, cut from child support; $844 million, cut from 
food stamps.
  Republicans will cut student loan funding by $14.3 billion. This 
represents the largest single cut in the history of the student aid 
program at a time when the cost of tuition has risen 28 percent at 
public colleges and 17 percent at private colleges in the last five 
years.
  In my home State of Massachusetts there are 172,640 student loan 
borrowers. Under the Republican plan, the average student borrower in 
Massachusetts, with $17,500 in loans will be forced to pay an 
additional $5,800.
  The Republican budget bill cuts of $11.4 billion from Medicaid. This 
$11.4 billion cut includes $6.5 billion in cuts that are borne directly 
by Medicaid enrollees--who include low-income children and seniors, as 
well as individuals with disabilities.
  Massachusetts ranks 12th in the country for Medicaid enrollment with 
over 1.2 million enrollees. The cuts would harm millions of low-income 
people across the U.S. and thousands in Massachusetts who rely on 
Medicaid for health coverage.
  Child support enforcement will be cut by $4.9 billion. The 
Congressional Budget Office, CBO, estimates that this will result in 
reducing child support collections by $24.1 billion over the next 10 
years.
  Experts agree that child support is a cost effective way of reducing 
poverty. In 2002, 1 million Americans were lifted out of poverty 
through child support payments. For every $1 spent on child support 
enforcement programs, $4.38 in child support is collected.
  Massachusetts would lose $88 million in Federal support over 5 years, 
rising to $282 million over 10 years. The estimated loss in child 
support collections would be $140 million over 5 years, rising to $428 
million over 10 years.
  Nearly 250,000 Massachusetts children currently receive child support 
enforcement services. This will have a devastating effect on the 
Commonwealth's children who live in single-parent families.
  Finally, this bill as originally drafted would cut food stamps by 
$844 million and will result in over 200,000 people losing assistance.
  Where are our priorities when we put tax cuts for the wealthy above 
the elderly, low income families, students, and children?
  Vote ``no'' on the Republican budget bill.

                          ____________________