President Bush's FY2007 Budget

PRESIDENT BUSH'S FY2007 BUDGET -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 08, 2006)

SPEECH OF
HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.
OF MICHIGAN
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2006

* Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in opposition to the priorities set forth in the President's Budget which hides the true costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, finances tax cuts on the backs of the poor, slashes Medicare and Medicaid, and favors special interests over the interests of the American people.

* Before the State of the Union address, I along with several other Members of Congress, sent President Bush a letter asking him to make sure that he tells the American people the truth. During the State of Union, President Bush said that his budget would cut the deficit in half by 2009. Unfortunately, it seems that the President did not read our letter.

* The President's budget is misleading in the projected costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2001, approximately $370 billion has been provided to finance the wars and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than $260 billion of that amount has been funneled into Iraq. In his budget, the President has set aside $50 billion in 2007 for Iraq and Afghanistan, but has not allotted any money beyond 2007. While I welcome a swift end to the war in Iraq, the assumption that this country will not spend a dime in Iraq and Afghanistan beyond 2007 is farfetched.

* The President's budget is misleading in not including the 10 year costs of repairing the Alternative Minimum Tax. While the President has included a 1-year provision to mitigate the AMT's impact on the middle class, it omits the cost of the full repair to the AMT. This cost is projected to increase the deficit by $844 billion over the next 10 years.

* Besides being disingenuous, this budget exacts a financial toll on our nation's disadvantaged citizens while helping to finance billions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. The cost to make the President's tax cuts permanent is $1.35 trillion over the next decade. At the same time, the President's budget cuts significant social programs, including cuts in job training, education, food stamps, and environmental protection efforts.

* Most alarmingly, this budget would allow the Federal Government to turn its back on those Americans who struggle to maintain their

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health. The President's budget cuts Medicaid by $17.2 billion over 5 years, thereby jeopardizing the care of this country's most vulnerable Americans. The budget also cuts Medicare spending by $105 billion over the next 10 years, in part by reducing payments for providers. Furthermore, the President's budget proposes real cuts to the National Institute of Health. At a time when we are making significant progress in finding cures to cancer and heart disease, and the threat of serious new diseases such as Avian flu and other pandemics loom, the President is proposing to slow scientific and medical advancement.

* The President's budget also fails to reduce the cost of health care or address the rising number of uninsured Americans. At a time when there are already 46 million Americans without any health coverage, this budget is wrong for our country.

* This shameful budget rewards well-connected wealthy interests at the expense of the poor. Because the President's budget promotes the wrong priorities for our country, it should be rejected.

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