Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2007

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007 -- (House of Representatives - May 17, 2006)

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Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Chairman, I regret that I could not be present today because of a family medical emergency. I am in strong opposition to the Republican's budget plan and in support of the Democratic alternative. This budget bill represents how out of touch the Republican Majority is with the needs of the American public.

The budget is a moral document and this budget highlights the priorities of the Republican leadership--cutting more taxes for the wealthy while making harmful cuts to critical programs for working families--including health, education, veterans' services and environmental protection. Most concerning about this budget is that it continues the Republican record of huge deficits and irresponsible debt accumulation. This budget plan writes a check that Congress cannot cash without increasing the debt limit to $9.618 trillion--hidden on page 121 of the report accompanying the budget resolution is a provision that will automatically increase the debt limit by $653 billion.

In contrast, the Democratic budget alternative would balance the federal budget by 2012 and immediately stop the Majority's record of increasing the national debt, again and again. Among other things, the Democratic alternative would reinstate the effective pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budget rules to eliminate deficit spending and give the American people a budget that is fair and responsible. The Democratic alternative would provide $4.6 billion more for education; would provide $18 billion more for health programs over 5 years, which includes medical research at the National Institute of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and would protect seniors from Medicare prescription drug enrollment penalties; would provide $8.6 billion more for our veterans in healthcare over five years and rejects increases in fees for military retirees enrolled in Tricare; and finally would provide $2.9 billion more for environmental protection and conservation programs.

The Republican budget resolution does not reflect the priorities of the American people. As Members of Congress, we cannot abandon our obligations to our children, to our parents and future generations by cutting vital programs and increasing the debt limit to finance tax cuts bigger than we can afford and hiding the true cost of the ongoing war in Iraq. I urge my colleagues to reject the underlying bill and support the Democratic budget alternative.

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