| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – On July 11, 2001, Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey said,
“We must understand that it is inviolate to intrude against either Social
Security or Medicare and if that means forgoing or, as it were, paying
for tax cuts, then we’ll do that.” U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky
(D-IL) said that the Majority Leader’s words ring hollow since the House
Republicans are offering a budget that virtually spends all of the Social
Security surplus to pay for last year’s tax breaks that mostly benefit
the wealthy.
An
in-depth analysis of the House Republican Budget was prepared by U.S.
Representative John Spratt, Jr., ranking Democratic Member of the Budget
Committee. Here are some of the “lowlights” :
1.
The Republican Budget Resolution would take over $1 trillion from the Social
Security Trust Funds and eliminate the Medicare surplus over the next five
years.
The
President and every House Republican leader promised
last year that every single dollar of the Social Security and Medicare
surpluses would be saved for Social Security and Medicare. With this Republican
budget, virtually no dollar of the Social Security and Medicare surpluses
will be saved for Social Security or Medicare.
The
Congressional Budget Office reports that the single biggest factor in the
disappearing surplus is the Bush tax cut, not the war on terrorism or the
recession.
2.
The Republican Budget Resolution abandons
domestic priorities
The
Budget Resolution:
-
cuts
$90 million from last year’s bipartisan legislation that funds our nation’s
main elementary and secondary education
programs;
-
eliminates
the Community Access Programs (CAP) and Health Professions Training program,
freezes funding for the Ryan White AIDS Programs, and slashes funding for
Rural Health Activities by $54 million;
-
cuts
the Violence Against Women Act Grants, and funds the Legal Services Corporation
well below needed levels;
-
cuts
state and local law enforcement grants by $1.7 billion;
-
funds
the Community Development Block Grant program at $379 million below what
is needed to maintain current levels;
3.
The Republican Budget Resolution does not offer seniors a comprehensive,
affordable, and voluntary prescription drug benefit under Medicare
4.
The Republican Resolution does not take into account future impending cots
like additional funding for homeland security, response to natural disasters,
which will require more funds for FEMA and other federal agencies. None
of these or other certain or likely contingencies are accommodated in the
resolution, making its projections highly suspect. |
