[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 154 (Friday, November 18, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2434-E2435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. JOE BACA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 17, 2005

  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, the budget reconciliation process is wrong, 
and it must be stopped.
  We must reject any cuts to critical federal safety net programs when 
so many Americans are experiencing hard times. They have been forced to 
turn to the government, as well as charities, for assistance with basic 
necessities.
  Nine hundred thousand American families affected by Hurricanes 
Katrina and Rita are relying on the Food Stamps Program to avoid 
hunger. Voting for this budget resolution is voting to cut food stamps 
for these families--and for millions of others who would otherwise go 
hungry.
  This budget resolution boosts mandatory cuts in crucial programs, 
including health care and student aid, by 44 percent.
  Over ten million Latinos on Medicaid will be affected by these cuts. 
Medicaid provides health insurance to about 50 million people in 
America, including 41 percent of people in poverty. We need choices 
that can help the 34 percent of Latinos that are uninsured.
  The budget reconciliation shows how misguided Republican priorities 
are. Instead of helping make health care affordable, they will force 
families to choose between staying healthy or keeping the lights on.
  The budget will slash such programs as student loans and therefore 
hurt hundreds of thousands of American families. And yet the GOP budget 
also requires $70 billion in new tax cuts, helping mainly the 
wealthiest Americans.

  Under the proposed cut in student loans, the typical student borrower 
could be forced to pay an additional $5,800 for his or her student 
loans compared to under current law.
  These budget cuts do nothing to ease the national budget deficit.
  While Republicans claim that they are serious about deficit 
reduction, their reconciliation plan actually increases the deficit by 
$20 billion.
  Let me repeat: the two GOP reconciliation bills together will result 
in a $20 billion increase in the deficit! One cuts mandatory spending 
by $50 billion and the other cuts taxes by $70 billion.

[[Page E2435]]

  Mr. Speaker, this proposal makes no sense and is immoral. We cannot 
balance the budget on the back of the poor.
  People across the country responded with compassion and generosity to 
the suffering and devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, 
and the federal government must continue to play a role to reduce the 
suffering of our fellow Americans in the gulf region.
  It is not compassionate to cut funding for critical programs that in 
many cases would hurt those very communities.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose this budget resolution.

                          ____________________