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Washington, DC -- U.S. Rep. Ron Klein (FL-22) Wednesday voted in favor of a fiscally-responsible measure that will begin the process toward restoring fiscal discipline to our nation’s budget by holding government funding to 2006 levels and providing additional funds for critical needs, including veterans programs and scholarship programs.
The Continuing Resolution for FY 2007, which will fund the government through September of this year, is compliant with pay-as-you go standards by eliminating earmarks and suspending raises for Members of Congress.
“I promised Floridians that when I came to Congress, I would only support measures that were fiscally responsible. And the continuing resolution I supported today is about as fiscally responsible as you can get,” said Klein. “Not only does this measure freeze government funding to 2006 levels, but it also eliminates costly and frivolous earmarks and instead, provides additional funding for critical needs including billions more for veterans health care and more funding for college scholarships.
The Continuing Resolution for 2007 compliant with pay-as-you-go standards, meaning that all legislation passed by Congress must be “budget neutral” or offset with savings derived from other parts of the budget.
The Continuing Resolution of 2007 also provides funding for high priority needs, some of which are as follows:
• Increases veterans’ health care by $3.6 billion above the 2006 level, anticipating an increase of at least 325,000 patients and to meet rising health care costs.
• Increases funding for Defense Department health programs, which will help provide care for soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Doubles the number of intelligence analysts at the FBI since 9/11 and increasing funding for the COPS program.
• Increases scholarships by $260 to $4,310 – the first increase in four years.
• Increases funding for the federal highway program by $3.5 billion
• Increases funding for Section 9 Housing by $1.4 billion, which will renew 227,000 tenant-based and project-based housing vouchers.
• Expands the State Department and USAID efforts to fight global HIV/AIDS by $1.3 billion. | 
