[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 30 (Friday, February 16, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E383-E384]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE PRESIDENT'S FY 2008 BUDGET

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 16, 2007

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my 
disappointment with the President's budget proposal for Fiscal Year 
2008. The President has said repeatedly that he wants to work with the 
new leadership in Congress, but his budget request tells a different 
story. It is clear evidence that he has little interest in making the 
hard choices facing our Nation and that he continues to favor tax cuts 
for the wealthy at the expense of working Americans.
  One of the most notable changes in this budget as compared with those 
of previous years is the inclusion of supplemental spending requests 
for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. I do appreciate this 
development, as it will enhance Congressional oversight, which has been 
sorely lacking in the past. However, this improvement does not alter my 
deep opposition to the President's plan to augment existing force 
levels in Iraq by 21,500 troops, a number that could increase 
significantly once additional support forces are considered. It has 
become evident that the problem in Iraq cannot be solved by more U.S. 
troops. As the Iraq Study Group and other experts have concluded, it 
requires a diplomatic and economic solution, as well as a renewed 
commitment by the Iraqi government to take greater control of its own 
security situation. Consequently, Congress will carefully scrutinize 
the supplemental funding request so that we continue to provide our men 
and women in uniform with the resources they need to remain safe and 
effective while moving toward a swift conclusion of our military 
operations in Iraq. The American people have asked us to act, and we 
will do so in the coming months.
  Sadly, the remainder of the budget demonstrates the President's 
misplaced priorities and inability to operate within realistic 
expectations. Once again, the President claims he can have it both ways 
by making permanent tax cuts for the wealthiest while reaching a 
balanced budget by 2012. However, the numbers just don't add up. The 
President doesn't balance his budget through responsible 
decisionmaking; he does it by hoping for economic growth that may or 
may not occur. In fact, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office 
estimates that the President has overestimated revenue projections in 
2012 by more than $150 billion, and that his budget would actually 
result in yet another deficit. One hundred and fifty billion dollars is 
more than a rounding error; it is wishful thinking.
  What does the average Rhode Islander get from all of that deficit 
spending? Unfortunately, it's not much. The President's decision to 
extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans would cost hundreds of 
billions of dollars in lost revenue, necessitating drastic cuts to 
important services and resulting in a massive middle-class tax 
increase. By choosing to extend certain tax cuts expiring in 2010 
instead of fixing the Alternative Minimum Tax, the President has made 
clear that his priorities are with the richest Americans and not the 
middle class.

  Our Nation's most vulnerable populations would also be harmed by the 
proposed budget. The President has called for $78 billion in cuts to 
Medicare and Medicaid, venerable programs that provide vital health 
care services to the elderly, the disabled and the poor. Part of those 
cuts would come from an 8 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursement 
rates to physicians. Congress has blocked such cuts in the past because 
we know how devastating they would be to our health care system, yet 
the President appears oblivious to how dangerous they would be. When I 
am in Rhode Island, I hear constantly from doctors about how proposed 
cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates would result in their inability to 
treat Medicare patients. My State's 16 hospitals would not be able to 
meet the needs of the community, and our senior citizens would suffer 
as a result. While I agree that we need to address the long-term 
solvency of Medicare, any reforms should be implemented in a way that 
benefits, not damages, our Nation's health care system.
  The budget would also threaten to repeal health insurance for Rhode 
Island children. Rhode Island is one of 18 States that have implemented 
the State Children's Health Insurance Program to exceed minimum federal 
standards. Rhode Island's program, Rite Care, has leveraged SCHIP 
funding to provide health insurance to children in families up to 250 
percent of the poverty level, as well as to additional populations such 
as pregnant women and parents. We have worked hard to bring our 
insurance coverage rate for children to 94 percent--above the national 
average of 88 percent. The President's budget would penalize States 
that are succeeding under SCHIP and increase the uninsured rate among 
children when we should be going in the opposite direction.
  As chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging 
Threats, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology, I am concerned that 
the budget proposal does not invest appropriately in important homeland 
security initiatives. Despite tragedies experienced in Madrid and 
London, we continue to ignore the importance of rail security; the 
Transportation Security Administration budget contains only $41 million 
for surface transportation security. The Bush Administration has also 
proposed cutting biodefense-related programs and the Department of 
Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, both of which 
will help protect our Nation from emerging threats. Additionally, the 
budget would reduce funding for programs important to State and local 
law enforcement in Rhode Island, including the State Homeland Security 
Grant Program, which awarded $45.2 million to Rhode Island from 2003 to 
2006, and the Law Enforcement Terrorist Prevention Program, LETPP, from 
which Rhode Island received $11.5 million in funding from 2004 to 2006. 
Despite their proven effectiveness in reducing crime in our 
communities, the Community Oriented Policing Service, COPS, and Justice 
Assistance Grants, JAGs, would also experience cuts in this budget 
proposal. The COPS program helps Rhode Island's law enforcement 
agencies hire police officers, enhance crime fighting technology, and 
support crime prevention initiatives, while JAG supports State and 
local drug task forces, community crime prevention programs and 
prosecution initiatives. In 2006 alone, Rhode Island received $1.6 
million in JAG funding and $790,000 in COPS funding that helped keep 
Rhode Island families safe. An important component of homeland security 
includes providing our state and local law enforcement with the 
resources they need to be effective, and I will fight to block these 
proposed cuts.

  A budget is more than a simple ledger of revenue and spending. It is 
a demonstration of priorities. In this case, the President's priorities 
are out of touch with what the American people want. The new leadership 
in Congress is ready to craft a budget that will support strengthening 
our national defense and will

[[Page E384]]

carefully examine our ongoing commitment in Iraq while not losing sight 
of those priorities that need to be met here at home. Our budget will 
reflect the values and needs of working Rhode Islanders. I will fight 
to properly fund SCHIP so that Rite Care can continue to support our 
state's most vulnerable patients, and I will fight the drastic proposed 
physician payment cuts under Medicare so that we do not jeopardize the 
health and well-being of our Nation's seniors.
  Working to put our Nation back on solid financial footing will take 
time and dedication, and I am up to the challenge. I will fight for a 
fair budget that benefits all Americans. I look forward to advocating 
for all Rhode Islanders in the coming months.

                          ____________________