Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) voted against the House Majority’s 2011 Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government for the remainder of FY 2011.  The deal, agreed to by the Speaker, the Senate Majority Leader and the President would fund the government through September, while cutting over $38 billion from the current budget, the largest single year cut in history.

“The minute House Republicans, and their Tea Party freshman class, decide to come to the table to discuss ways to cut our deficit in a bipartisan manner, and then I may eventually support some debt reducing cuts.  However, to continually cut from programs that benefit low- to middle-income families, seniors, children and the disabled, while the Bush tax cuts remain in effect for millionaires and billionaires is unacceptable.  To slice away at programs that may not be part of their political philosophy, while leaving huge tax breaks for Big Oil and other corporations, is offensive.

“With our recovery still fragile, I see no reason to actually take funding out of the hands of organizations, families and the states.  Especially when the GOP Majority gives no factual basis that these cuts will do anything but harm the economy.  How does it help to leave tax breaks intact for BP and take almost a billion dollars away from providing clean drinking water?  How can they justify removing over a billion dollars from treating HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs and Tuberculosis prevention, while continuing voting against health care? 

“I think that we have a responsibility to care for our seniors and our children – a generation who has already given so much to our country, and a generation holding our future in their hands.  Yet, this deal removes almost $900 million from poor children on food stamps and heating assistance for seniors.  I’d also like to know how the Majority can justify proposing a cut to the COPS program, which has been so successful in keeping our streets safe.

“We didn’t get into this deficit hole overnight, and it’s wrong to think we can get out of it just as quickly.  I find it fascinating to watch my Republican colleagues, who were so quick to take the credit card out to pay for the Bush tax cuts, the mismanaged wars, and the deficit-expanding prescription drug plan, suddenly become born-again deficit hawks.  We must work together to get out of the hole that both parties dug us into.  No one can take a "no compromise" approach to fixing our fiscal problems.  I understand that, and want to work together to get it done.

“One thing that is a positive aspect, our brave military and their families will be paid through September once this bill is signed by the President.  However, overall, it slashes too much without taking into account the harm caused to our economy, working families, and our neediest citizens.  Congress must get back to work creating jobs, strengthening the middle class, and responsibly reducing the deficit,”

In addition to passing the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution, the House also passed “corrections” to the bill which would repeal the Affordable Care Act and defund Planned Parenthood.  Rep. Engel opposed both of these measures.

Every year, Planned Parenthood health centers provide:

·         Contraception to nearly 2.5 million patients

·         Nearly 1 million Pap tests, identifying about 93,000 women at risk of developing cervical cancer

·         830,000 breast exams, helping alert patients to possible cancers

Repealing the Affordable Care Act would:

·         Raise the number of uninsured Americans by 32 million – once again placing the burden of care upon emergency rooms,

·         Re-open the “donut” hole for Medicare Part D prescription drugs increasing costs for millions of seniors,

·         Force young Americans up to 26 years old to be removed from their parents’ plans and be on their own should catastrophic health issues occur,

·         Empower insurance companies to deny ailing Americans with pre-existing conditions, and to cap the coverage of others who are in great need of care,

Rep. Engel added, “It just proves that the Majority has no interest in passing jobs legislation, or addressing any of the huge issues facing our nation.  There are no plans to fix the problems in our nation’s schools, no plans to reform our immigration policy, no plans to develop a strategy to take our nation off of its reliance on foreign oil.  However, we have plenty of time to vote, again, to repeal health care coverage for over 30 million Americans, to force seniors to pay more for their prescription drugs and to put power back in the hands of drug companies, to go along with their tax breaks. 

“We have plenty of time to remove the funding for an organization which provides health care services to women – especially low-income women who need preventative treatment such as mammograms and cancer screenings – because of a desire to continue the social policy wars.  Republicans waste the time of the House by pursuing these measures, destined to fail in the Senate or be vetoed by the President.   It is more political theater and it is getting tiresome.”

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