Rep. Kind: Bush's 2006 Budget Fiscally Irresponsible; Omits Big Ticket Items
Rep. Kind: Bush's 2006 Budget Fiscally Irresponsible; Omits Big Ticket Items
February 7, 2005
Administration Deliberately Excludes Social Security, War Costs, Tax Cut Extensions
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Ron Kind, a member of the House Budget Committee, labeled the Bush Administration's 2006 budget 'fiscally reckless and irresponsible' because it fails to outline a responsible track to address the nation's budget deficit and omits the full long-term costs of the President's policies on Social Security privatization, taxes, and operations in Iraq.
"The President's budget does not represent a meaningful plan to cut the deficit or restore fiscal discipline to the federal budget," stated Rep. Kind. "Under the President's own numbers he is predicting record deficits, but those figures are just the tip of the deficit iceberg once you factor in the big ticket items of Social Security, Iraq and the tax cut extension to the wealthiest Americans." Kind notes that the Bush
Administration's 2006 budget adds more than $4 trillion to the deficit in the next 10 years and excludes the trillions of dollars that would be needed to implement the President's Social Security privatization plan and the billions of dollars that are needed to fund the war effort in Iraq. At the same time, the budget relies heavily on draconian cuts to critical priorities in education, homeland security, healthcare, and the environment.
"This President has told the nation that we can't afford to honor our promises to our children, veterans, seniors and rural communities, when the reality is that his own economic policies are bankrupting our nation, increasing the burden on local communities and immorally forcing our children and grandchildren to pay this generation's bills," stated Kind. In four short years, the Bush Administration has turned record budget surpluses into deficits, including a projected record deficit of $427 billion this year.
"Over the coming months, I will fight for a budget that reflects the values of America's middle class: national security, prosperity, opportunity, fairness, community, and accountability," continued Rep Kind. "A responsible budget is the first step towards building a future worthy of the trust of the American people, the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, and the aspirations of all of America's children."
http://www.house.gov/kind/press/050207_Bush_Budget.pdf