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Missed Opportunities in the Bush Budget

Floor Speech

Date: Feb. 7, 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Senior Citizens Unemployed and Low-Income Entitlements and the Safety Net Health Insurance Government Budget and Spending

Mr. Speaker, this week the President unveiled his final budget proposal, and like previous budgets, it fails to properly address the needs and concerns that are central to the everyday lives of our constituents.

Perhaps most troubling is the fact that the Bush budget continues the President's legacy of fiscal irresponsibility and leaves behind a $407 billion deficit. The five largest deficits in American history have all occurred on the President's watch. When President Bush took office, the debt stood at $5.7 trillion, and it is projected to stand at $9.7 trillion by the time President Bush leaves office. This fiscal record ties the hands of the next generation, which faces growing obligations with increasingly limited resources.

The Bush budget also hurts Americans struggling to make ends meet by cutting Medicare and Medicaid, and the low income home energy assistance program. This budget also hurts our long-term efforts to prepare Americans for better jobs in the global marketplace by slashing important education and literacy programs.


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