[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 26 (Monday, February 12, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H1452-H1453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF PRESIDENT BUSH'S BUDGET ON NEW YORK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the 
negative impact of President Bush's proposed budget on New York State. 
New York is consistently faced with a funding imbalance. We receive far 
less funding than we pay out in taxes. This imbalance has held back 
projects in key areas. Key programs have been constantly underfunded, 
and this year's proposed budget again makes the wrong choices for New 
York's families. Gang violence is a growing problem on Long Island. Our 
police departments and community groups are doing all they can with 
this small budget.
  Unfortunately, these budgets will be further reduced if the President 
has his way. His budget request attempts to eliminate two of New York's 
local crime fighting tools: the Community Oriented Policing Service, or 
the COPS Program, and the Justice Assistance Grants Program. These two 
programs allow law enforcement agencies to hire police officers and 
support crime prevention.
  It is a lot cheaper to prevent crime than it is to send someone to 
prison. Police departments rely on this money to purchase new 
technology and equipment, to educate their members on how to best 
combat issues such as gun violence.
  In the year 2006, New York received more than $27 million in COPS and 
JAG funding. If this money is not available, our law enforcement will 
not have the tools they need to keep our families and communities safe. 
But it is not just our communities that are put at risk by the 
President's budget.
  College assistance programs to help New York students will be slashed 
if the President has his way. The education of our Nation's students is 
one of the most important issues facing us today. I have traveled to 
China and India and have seen the attention those countries are giving 
to education for their students.
  We need to do a better job at funding our educational programs to 
give our students the tools they need to compete in a global economy. 
However, under the President's budget, key programs such as work study 
and supplemental educational opportunity grants will be frozen.
  Tuition in New York State schools have increased over 20 percent over 
the last few years. These new cuts in student aid will put college 
further out of reach of so many of the New York students. This is the 
wrong message to be sending to our students who work hard in high 
school and dream of going to college. We can do a better job, but we 
need adequate funding to truly help our students achieve their dreams.
  As you know, our health care system needs attention also. Over 40 
million

[[Page H1453]]

Americans are without health insurance. In New York 2.5 million are 
uninsured. In his State of the Union address, President Bush vaguely 
outlined a proposal to deal with this very issue. I applaud the 
President for bringing this issue to the forefront of the debate.
  However, I do not agree with the President's plan. I am afraid his 
proposal will raise health care costs for New York's working class, 
while doing very little to help the 2.5 million uninsured. The money 
President Bush requested for his plan can be better used to lower 
premiums and truly make health care affordable for all Americans.
  Since the start of the 110th Congress the House has done the people's 
work. We have raised the minimum wage, cut student loan interest rates, 
and helped Medicare beneficiaries. We have changed the focus of our 
Nation to help all Americans.
  The President's budget request misses the mark and will harm already 
underfunded programs. We in Congress must devote more attention and 
funding to our Nation's education and health care. These issues have 
been long underfunded for too long.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to refocus our 
priorities and fully fund our educational and health care programs. I 
know in the next 3 days we are going to be debating Iraq, which I think 
is probably one of the most important issues facing this Nation.
  But even with that, we as Democrats will continue doing the work of 
the American people and finally getting some work done that is going to 
help all Americans. That is what we as Democrats will do. That is what 
we pledged and we will follow through with that.

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