The President's 2006 Budget: a Betrayal of the Trust

Op-Ed

THE PRESIDENT'S 2006 BUDGET: A BETRAYAL OF THE TRUST

An Op-Ed by Marion Berry United State Congressman -- Arkansas' 1st District

Democrats believe that on every issue our nation faces, it is our responsibility to ensure that the policies we pursue are consistent with the values we cherish. The Bush Administration's 2006 budget fails in every respect.

It is fiscally irresponsible, adding trillions to the deficit over the next 10 years. It is morally reprehensible, shortchanging veterans' benefits and slashing funding for key homeland security, health care, and education initiatives. And the Bush Administration's failure to include details of its damaging Social Security privatization proposal and the cost of the war in Iraq is a failure to lead. Republicans are clearly out of touch with America's values and the real needs of families in Arkansas' First Congressional District.

This fiscally irresponsible budget threatens our economy and the stability of the global economy because Republicans are unwilling to take the necessary steps toward fiscal responsibility -- returning to responsible pay as you go rules.

Democrats have offered pay-as-you-go legislation to force Congress to only spend available funds rather than borrowing from future generations and Republican Leadership would not allow that idea to come up for a vote. We have asked for a focus on priorities such as education and infrastructure instead of an extension of tax breaks for the wealthiest 1 percent and we were beaten back. Now, in a time when our economic security is tied so tightly with our national security, we have another year of record deficits.

This couldn't be simpler; the government cannot continue to spend money we don't have. There isn't a family in Arkansas -- or anywhere else in this country -- who doesn't understand this. If you keep spending money you don't have, if you continue to borrow money to pay back later, if you keep pushing yourself deeper and deeper in debt, your ability to manage your finances becomes less and less possible.

There is a whole new generation of veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan, but this budget makes them pay more for the health care and prescription drug benefits that they have earned through their service. We need more cops on the street, but this budget cuts $480 million from the COPS program making it harder to keep the officers we have, not to mention significant cuts to other first responders' programs.

During the past four years, the number of people without health insurance has increased by 5 million, but this budget cuts $60 billion in health care funding for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, and includes policies that will lead hundreds of thousands of people to lose their health insurance. The proposal to expand enrollment in high-deductible health savings accounts would actually make the problem worse, increasing the number of Americans without insurance by 350,000.

Even if the Republican Congress let President Bush slash this domestic spending, the President's budget would still be deeply and dangerously lacking in fiscal discipline. It does nothing to address the record deficit of $427 billion, and it does not even include funding for the two issues that dominated the President's State of the Union Address - Social Security and Iraq.

The President's budget also included no details on the Republican plan to privatize Social Security. In fact, his budget continues the raid on the Social Security Trust Fund, borrowing and spending all of the money from the Social Security Trust Fund over the next five years. His failure to provide a clear and honest accounting of the difficult trade-offs between increases in the debt, benefit cuts, and tax increases necessary to fund the White House's privatization proposal is a failure of leadership. Democrats stand ready to address the challenges facing Social Security, but the President must put forward a proposal that is fiscally responsible, fair, and does not slash benefits.

We know that the cost of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost billions this year, but those costs are not accounted for in this budget. The American people deserve an honest accounting of the cost of this war.

President Bush's budget is an unfortunate step in the wrong direction and a clear indication of the price we pay for having a rubber stamp Republican majority in the House of Representatives. A responsible budget is the first step toward 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.

The time for demonstrating honesty and integrity by doing what's right instead of what's politically convenient is now. We simply cannot continue to mortgage the future of our children and grandchildren with record deficits. The President cannot continue to betray the trust of the American people.

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