Date: 2005-02-16
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to vehemently state my disappointment. frustration. and objection to the FY 2006 budget submitted by President Bush. When President Bush submitted his 2006 budget to Congress recently. he said. "The taxpayers of America dont want us spending our money into something thats not achieving results." I couldnt agree more. The Presidents 2006 budget cuts money from Americas veterans. Americas first responders. students. small businesses. health. urban and rural development. and environmental protection. Is the President saying our veterans. first responders. students. and small businesses are not achieving results? The unnecessary tax cuts for the rich and an optional war with Iraq are not producing results. The Presidents budget does not contain a single dime of money for war effort in Iraq or his proposed reforms to privatize Social Security. How is this possible? How can the budget for the country omit the two most important issues mentioned during the Presidents address to the Nation on the State of the Union? Instead. those costs are hidden from the American people in the form of an $80 billion emergency supplemental request to Congress. A request that was not mentioned during prime time coverage on national television. This budget continues the same bad choices of this administration and will lead to the same bad resultshuge deficits and increasing debt. This President and this administration has squandered an inheritance of a 10year surplus of $5.6 trillion and has replaced it with deficits that our children may have as their responsibility. This budget will severely impact Texas citizens negatively as well as other American citizens. They deserve better. Never before has America faced such an array of issues that demand creative. competent leadership. But the Bush administration has pursued solutions that serve only to escalate the problems we are facing. We should be making progress. but in too many areas we are either backsliding or simply holding the line. Programs and policies that not only provide assistance for the poor but for a large portion of the American people who need help to keep their heads above water are under attack. To cut the Medicaid program for the poor of $60 billion over 10 years. to cut the Small Business Administrations technical assistance program to small businesses by 37.9 percent. and to cut community policing programs up to 95.6 percent is not only immoral but irresponsible. Eight million Americans are unemployed. But Republicans passed a new set of tax breaks that reward corporations who send jobs overseas. About 45 million Americans have no health insurance. But Republicans have proposed Health Savings Accounts that benefit a wealthy few. encourage employers to drop insurance coverage and will increase the number of uninsured by 350.000. Over 8 million children nationwide are struggliing to meet new national education standards. But Republicans refused to provide promised help to our schools. leaving millions of children without the help they need in reading and math. America needs a budget that reflects the morals of this country. a budget the American people can trust and support. one that supports the national security policy that is as strong and brave and as decent as the heroes who serve to protect us. America needs a budget that includes all its citizens and a budget that is fair and balanced. The President needs to do for all of America what he is asking the rest of the world to doto treat all its people with decency and respect.