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Deficit reduction is at the top of the congressional agenda right now as the legislative year winds down. A major part of that effort comes in the form of one of the most important pieces of legislation we will consider this year: The Deficit Reduction Act. This bill is an effort by Congress to reform entitlement and other mandatory programs in order to find at least $35 billion in savings over the next five years.
Congress has worked to find these savings without raising taxes. Instead, we are proposing raising money through leasing federal lands and saving money by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse from several federal programs.
I am certain that there will be some who claim that Congress is trying to take away benefits from those who need them. This is not the case. Rather, a significant number of people who currently receive federal benefits do not actually qualify for this assistance. What Congress is doing is reforming these programs and closing loopholes so that federal dollars go to where Congress and the American people intend it to.
The bottom line is that U.S. citizens who legally qualify for Medicaid or food stamps or free school lunches today will continue to receive these benefits. However, for those who do not, they will no longer receive federal benefits they don’t legally qualify for. This is just common sense, and in light of current budget deficits, necessary.
Bush Nominates Judge Alito to the High Court
As I’m sure many have seen in the news, President Bush nominated federal Circuit Court Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. This announcement comes after Harriet Miers had withdrawn her nomination. Since there had been a lot of questioning by pundits of where Miss Miers stood on constitutional issues, I was looking forward to the hearings when she could say for herself what her judicial philosophy is. She will no longer have that chance, but I applaud Miss Miers on her willingness to serve her country. Regardless of what type of Supreme Court justice she would make, she is fine and decent person.
Now that President Bush has sent a second nomination to the Senate, I hope the process to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor can get back on track. A concrete timetable has not yet been set, but early indications are that the Senate will most likely vote on Judge Alito in December.
Reminder About Medicare Workshops
I mentioned last week that I will be hosting a series of workshops on the new Medicare prescription drug benefit that goes into effect January 1, 2006. This benefit will offer insurance coverage for prescription drugs through Medicare prescription drug plans and other health plan options. All who qualify for Medicare will be eligible for this new benefit. Enrollment begins on November 15, 2005. All are invited to attend these workshops where experts will be on hand to answer any questions about the benefit. More information regarding dates and locations of the workshops can be found at my website (click here for more details) or by calling my office, toll free, at 1-888-763-1611.
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