[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 158 (Monday, December 12, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2504]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 17, 2005

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, the Republican fiscal mismanagement is 
so bad and their budget proposal so dreadful that even the Republican 
caucus is having difficulty swallowing it. Main Street Republicans 
don't agree with K Street Republicans who don't agree with Wall Street 
Republicans, and they are all hopelessly out of touch with the streets 
where most Americans live.
  It is irresponsible to claim that this is the only way to pay for our 
Hurricane Katrina assistance, while the Republican leadership works on 
extending $70 billion in tax cuts for those least in need. In reality, 
we can save the budget without breaking the bank and making harmful 
cuts to the most vulnerable Americans. The first step is to halt plans 
to provide an additional $70 million in tax cuts for those least in 
need while cutting $11.9 billion from Medicare and $14.3 billion from 
student loan programs. Even with these spending cuts, the proposal will 
still increase the national debt by more than $100 billion over the 
next 5 years.
  We can do better for America's future than cutting off assistance to 
society's most vulnerable. The budget is a reflection of our priorities 
and future path. We must provide the investment in education that will 
prepare our students for the high-tech and global world we live in. We 
need to create a health care system that is fair and affordable, and 
doesn't burden businesses in the global marketplace. We must stop 
shortchanging our infrastructure needs and put in place a world-class 
transportation system that moves people and freight seamlessly. In the 
long-run we are losing money by waiting in traffic-filled commutes, 
delayed movement of freight, and expensive patchwork repairs to 
inadequate systems.
  There is much talk of scandal here in Washington, D.C., but the true 
scandal is how tragically out-of-touch my Republican colleagues are 
from the needs and desires of the average American.
    

                          ____________________