April 9, 2009

The President's Budget

Last week the House passed H. Con. Res. 85: the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2010. This resolution provides the framework through which the House will craft the Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations bills and reflects the priorities outlined in President Obama's budget released earlier this year.

The budget resolution advances the commitment toward implementing health care reform by expanding coverage, improving quality and addressing costs. This budget resolution does not include the specifics of President Obama's health care reform package but the House did recognize its importance and its desire to address the issue by clearly setting aside an unfunded reserve account. This approach was also taken with the environment and a host of other initiatives.

It also provides additional resources for the full spectrum of the educational experience — from early education through college. It addresses energy independence by increasing our commitment to achieving energy efficiency and investing in renewable energy sources. H. Con. Res. 85 also addresses the importance of economic stability by affirming the President's commitment to cutting the budget deficit in half over four years.

I voted YES. H. Con. Res. 85 passed in the House and the entire vote is recorded below:

District Work Period

The House is currently in the midst of a district work period, which gives me a chance to spend some extended time meeting with constituents and attending local events. Over the weekend, I attended the 23rd annual book fair held by Councilor Charles Yancey at Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Grove Hall. Hundreds of people spent time at the fair, which included performances and a speaking program. I also participated in the 17th annual awards gala for the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. The Urban League, under the direction of Executive Director Darnell Williams, does so much great work in the community, including education and youth activities, economic empowerment, advocacy and civil rights. The theme of the night was Stop the Violence and three extraordinary women received the Lee F. Jackson Achievement Award Saturday night. All three lost children to violence and have become effective voices in their communities, advocating for peace.

El Salvador

I recently joined several of my colleagues in the House to support development assistance for the new, democratically-elected government of El Salvador. President Mauricio Funes and his administration face many challenges coping with the global economic crisis while dealing with pressing national needs. We expressed our conviction that the United States has a stake in El Salvador's stability, prosperity, and security, and urged increased funding for capacity building in areas such as public administration, tax compliance, and the effective administration of anti-poverty programs.

Telephone Community Meetings

Thanks to those who were able to participate in my recent telephone community meetings. If you did not have an opportunity to dial in during either of the sessions, we have posted audio files on our website. You will find them at www.house.gov/capuano. As always, we appreciate any feedback you may have about the meetings.

What's Up Next

This House is currently in a District Work Period. The next votes are expected to take place on Tuesday April 21st.