Cantwell Claims Bush Budget Undermines Commitments to Washington State

Cantwell Claims Bush Budget Undermines
Commitments to Washington State

Senators will use "every tool at our disposal" to defeat Bush Administration plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today said that the President's Fiscal Year 2006 budget would seriously undermine the federal government's commitments to Washington state. Cantwell singled out ten specific ways the Administration's budget request falls short:

· Energy rates. The President's budget could double power costs for Washington state electricity consumers. The budget proposes new legislation that would change the way the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has set its rates for more than 50 years, from a system based on the costs of generating electricity-to a system based on the much higher market price for power. The proposal could cost Northwest ratepayers more than $2 billion over the next four years. Currently, about 70 percent of the electricity consumed in Washington state is BPA power. "This is the same as a billion-dollar tax hike on Washington state, and as far as I'm concerned, it's dead on arrival," said Cantwell. "To think we would arbitrarily pay more for power generated right here in the Northwest is ludicrous."

· Hanford. The President's budget shortchanges the federal government's commitment to clean up Hanford , and undermines the Department of Energy's ability to meet cleanup deadlines established in the TriParty Agreement. The budget cuts funding to clean up Hanford by 15.2 percent compared to last year. " It was literally less than a month ago that the incoming Secretary of Energy assured me DOE would meet its commitments to clean up Hanford , consistent with the TriParty Agreement," Cantwell said. "I'm deeply disappointed that this budget and that commitment appear to be mutually exclusive. I will not stand for further efforts by the Department of Energy to reclassify waste stored at Hanford that will jeopardize the health and well-being of the citizens of Washington state . This budget does not give me confidence that the Department of Energy is going to keep its commitment to clean up the site."

· Community Development Block Grants. The President's budget shortchanges Washington cities and counties by slashing the highly effective Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The existing program allows cities and counties to take on affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization initiatives targeted to low- and moderate-income families. In Forks, Washington, where one in four children live in poverty, cutting CDBG funding will impede finishing projects ranging from building a community center, to developing affordable housing. The South King County Multiservice Center in Federal Way stands to lose a substantial portion of the $200,000 a year it receives in CDBG funding, which is a huge part of its annual budget. Cuts in CDBG will also lower the funds awarded for projects such as the Pediatric Interim Care Center Newborn Nursery, which provides care to drug-addicted babies throughout Washington , and the Boys and Girls Club of King County Youth Development Center, a new construction project dedicated to teen programming. Snohomish County stands to lose over $3.4 million and King County expects to lose $7 million in CDBG funding. "Community Development Block Grants have helped revitalize communities across our state and the nation for more than thirty years," Cantwell said. "This program has a proven track record, and is clearly a real value. We should be increasing this vital service, not slashing it."

· Medicaid. The President's budget proposes legislation to reform Medicaid and cut spending by $60 billion over 10 years. These cuts will almost certainly put the squeeze on states that are already struggling to pay their share of Medicaid costs. Today, about 916,000 people in Washington state--including 35 percent of all children--depend on Medicaid for health care coverage. Those covered by Medicaid include low-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities - people who would otherwise have inadequate coverage or no health care coverage at all. "The approach to Medicaid that the budget takes - siphoning badly needed federal funding from hard-pressed state Medicaid programs like Washington's- would weaken the health care safety net for some of the nation's most needy and vulnerable people," said Cantwell.

· Veterans. The President's budget would impose $424 million in new health care fees on our nation's veterans. Specifically, the budget proposes the creation of a $250 per year "user fee" and doubling the co-payment for prescription drugs for some veterans. " Our nation's veterans laid everything on the line for our country," Cantwell said. "They deserve better than to be nickel-and-dimed. They stood up for us, and we should stand by them."

· First Responders. The President's budget would cut the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program (FIRE Act grants) by $19 million. Last year, 132 grants were awarded to Washington state fire departments, totaling nearly $15 million. The program provides funds for firefighter equipment, including replacement fire trucks, and training . " Washington 's firefighters constantly put themselves in harm's way as they respond to all types of emergencies," Cantwell said. "This funding is essential to ensure that local fire departments have the equipment and training that they need to keep our families and communities safe."

· Northern Border. Last December, Congress passed legislation (PL 108-458) requiring the Department of Homeland Security to increase the number of border agents by 2000 agents per year, from fiscal years 2006-2010. Under this plan, 400 more agents were to be added annually to the Northern Border. The President's budget is woefully inadequate to meet this need, providing only $36.9 million, or enough for 210 additional positions - and only 42 for the Northern Border. "It takes real border agents on the ground to enforce our laws and ensure our communities are safe," Cantwell said. "The budget under-funds our needs at the Northern Border."

· Methamphetamine . Although Sen. Cantwell earlier this year asked the President to boost funding to fight methamphetamine use to $100 million, the budget allocates just $20 million to this effort. Cantwell hopes to reverse the trend of declining federal support for the fight against meth. In fiscal year 2002, meth enforcement and clean-up efforts received $70 million. The fiscal year 2005 appropriation fell 25 percent, to less than $52 million. Unfortunately, local communities currently have to depend on annual earmarks for assistance in the fight against meth, as there is no formal federal program to backstop their efforts. " I continue to hear from local law enforcement that they're being inundated with meth crimes," Cantwell said. "We must recognize the growing threat that meth poses to our communities and give local cops the resources they need to keep our neighborhoods meth-free."

· PILT. The President's budget proposes a 12 percent cut to the payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) program relative to last year-including $700,000 for counties in Washington state. The PILT program helps counties that have tax-exempt federal lands within their boundaries by offsetting the costs of providing services to federal employees and users of the public lands. Without the payments, local taxpayers would have to bear the financial burden alone for those services, including education, solid waste disposal, law enforcement, search and rescue, health care, environmental compliance, firefighting, housing, social services, and transportation. "I am very disappointed in the President's decision to cut the PILT program, which compensates our rural Washington counties for last tax revenues," Cantwell said. "The federal government owes these communities and shouldn't short-change them on critical funding they use for basics like schools, roads, and public services."

· Education. The President's budget shortchanges Washington students by failing to fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act. Bush's proposed budget falls short of the authorized spending levels for NCLB by $12 billion in FY2006 alone. Washington state would receive $123.7 million less under the proposed budget, meaning that 38,722 low-income students will not receive the Title I services they were promised. Bush's budget also slashes funding for afterschool programs, including a cut of $16.8 million for Washington state, which will deny afterschool programs to 22,634 students. " It's one thing to name a bill 'No Child Left Behind' to get it passed," Cantwell said. "It's another thing to turn around and fail to give America 's students the resources and the education they need to succeed in the 21 st century."

http://cantwell.senate.gov/news/releases/2005_02_07_budget.html