Date: 1982-06-10
Speaker: WILLIAM J. COYNE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to the Latta substitute. a budget measure even more harsh in its effect on the poor and handicapped than the proposal offered by the Republicans a few short days ago. To cover the administrations budget deficita deficit brought on by poor economic management. a bloated military budget. and a budgetbusting tax cutthe Latta budget now before us would reduce Federal outlays for entitlement programs by $2.2 billion more than Latta originally proposed. What programs bear the brunt of the effort to close the administrations widening deficit? Certainly not the military. The reductions envisioned by Latta are perfunctory at best. True to administration policy. the tax break enacted last year is preserved. Where are the outlay reductions below current service levels for fiscal 1983? In medicare. Latta provides a $3.2 billion reduction. In medicaid. Latta would cut a $1.4 billion: Li food stamps. Latta would make a $1.4 billion reduction: In child nutrition. a $100 million reduction: - Employment and training programs. a $963 million cut. The list goes on. covering energy programs. space and science efforts. housing. health. education and legal services. Wherever the Federal Government exists to aid the needy or the handicapped. there stands Latta against it. Mr. Chairman. as we debate the various budget resolution alternatives. the numbers we use are in the billions of dollarsoften the hundreds of billions. One of the great inequities of this approach to governance is that programs of relatively small sizebut of great importance- to their need recipientstend to get lost in the shuffle. In the Latta budget. for example. I am especially concerned that a program which provides critical assistance to thousands of blind and physically handicapped Americans may be eliminated. I speak of the free matter for the blind and physically handicapped program. which faces extinction if the Latta budget. with its proposal to eliminate the $713 million postal serv ice appropriation. is eliminated. The free matter for the blind and physically handicapped program allows libraries. organizations. and individuals to mail the following items without cost: books in braille: large print and recorded materials: aid and appliances such as braille writers. watches and clocks. as well as record and cassettee players. These items are mailed in postage free. franked envelopes under this $20million program. According to the 1980. Annual Report of the Postmaster General. 27.8 million pieces. at a weight of 39.7 billion pounds. were mailed under this program. In 1981. 400.000 blind and physically handicapped readers received 18 million books and magazines postage free. Without the freematter program. the few State libraries for. the blindthere are only two in my own State of Pennsylvaniawould be hard pressed to cover mailing costs for the many books and records they send outside their immediate geographic area. If this program is killed. blind and physically handicapped persons. who often transport material which is often quite heavy and bulky. would be faced with prohibitive mailing expenses. The Jones budget resolution. which I support. would continue the Postal Service appropriations level at $708 million. allowing for retention of the free matter for the blind and physically handicapped program. Few Members of thi- legislative body are averse to using cnxtfree. franked mail. I do not see how we. can. in all good conscience. go along with a budget that would cruelly eliminate this option for the blind and handicapped. I urge rejection of the Latta budget. a measure which would eliminate this and other programs which aid the truly needy and handicapped. I ask that ybu support the Jones budget. a fairer. more humane alternative. I include the following article from - the New York Times of June 10. page A30: