JOHN WALSH

(U.S. SENATE)  - Senator John Walsh today released the following statement after the release of the President’s budget proposal:

“The President’s budget is littered with missed opportunities that fail to cut waste and it falls short of meeting Montana’s needs.

“Consider the plan to modernize the military. This budget reduces benefits to our military members, but maintains excessive private contracts and foreign aid financing to pay other countries to buy weapons systems. When did defense contractors and international armament become a higher priority than our own service men and women?

“Meanwhile, the President does not go far enough to maintain critical services. His proposal will cut support for critical access to hospitals that thousands of Montanans rely on, and gut the Farm Service Agency offices that farmers and ranchers need.

“Still other initiatives miss the mark entirely: many schools in Montana are without broadband and won’t qualify for the $200 million technology grant. This budget also continues to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on Race to the Top, a failed initiative that simply doesn't work for rural America. 

"This budget is a disappointing framework and I will work to ensure that the appropriations bills better reflect Montana’s priorities.”

Walsh does support the President’s call for fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). 

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