Reyes Responds to Administration's Budget

REYES RESPONDS TO ADMINISTRATION'S BUDGET
2/7/2005

Washington, D.C.

The Bush Administration FY2006 budget proposal underfunds or cuts programs such as the Border Patrol, SCAAP and the Southwest Border Prosecutors.

The Bush Administration released its $2.5 trillion fiscal year 2006 budget today, eliminating the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) and the Southwest Border Prosecutor Initiative, two important funding sources for law enforcement and judicial personnel in El Paso and the border region.

SCAAP

"In a budget that emphasizes homeland security and defense programs, the absence of the SCAAP program is unfair to El Paso and other border communities," said Reyes. "El Paso is on the frontlines of our nation's defense, yet the Bush Administration leaves significant funding for El Paso's law enforcement efforts to our already over-burdened taxpayers. This is the fourth year in a row President Bush has cut this program and as always, I will lead the fight in Congress to re-instate SCAAP. We have successfully kept the program alive, although it suffers from continual shortfalls. Even before the Administration released this budget, I supported legislation to fund SCAAP at $750 million for fiscal year 2006."

Southwest Border Prosecutor Initiative

"The Bush Administration also eliminated the Southwest Border Prosecutor Initiative, which helps relieve El Paso and other border communities of the burden of financing federal drug prosecutions," said Reyes. "As a former federal law enforcement officer in El Paso, I know the high volume of drug-related cases tried in El Paso's court system. Cases involving drugs and drug traffickers are complicated and dangerous. This program was created in El Paso and needs and deserves federal support."

Border Patrol

"At a time when we're being told that the nation continues to be at risk, the President's budget only provides for the hiring of 210 Border Patrol agents, which is barely ten percent of what was proposed in last year's intelligence reform bill," said Reyes. "The President and his Administration continue to severely miscalculate the needs of America's first line of defense, the U.S. Border Patrol.

"If $20 million is the only amount the Administration is willing to fund for the Border Patrol's equipment needs, then the President and members of his Administration need to review the challenges they face and the threats to our homeland the Border Patrol is charged to protect. Apparently, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge had special insight into the Administration's budgetary intent for homeland defense when he referred to funding for border security as 'fool's gold.' It is time for this Congress to stand up to an Administration that is regrettably out of touch with the needs of defending the homeland."

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)

"Elimination of the funding for the HIDTA program would be another huge mistake," said Reyes. "The West Texas Region of the Southwest Border HIDTA alone must try to dismantle drug trafficking organizations over a stretch of 490 miles of international border including five of the busiest Ports of Entry (POEs) we have nationwide. A loss of over $7 million annually in West Texas to do this job would be devastating, and clearly is a shortsighted decision."

Veterans

"Overall, this budget proposal is fiscally irresponsible, creating a deficit in 2006 that is likely to top $400 billion," said Reyes. "It is also morally irresponsible, cutting funding for key veterans, health care, and education initiatives.

"For fiscal year 2006, the Bush Administration's budget proposal fails to repeal the Disabled Veterans Tax and requests only 0.5 percent more than Congress recently appropriated for the Veterans Administration in fiscal year 2005. Veterans medical programs will receive only a 1.7 percent increase over the funds appropriated for fiscal year 2005, far from the 13-14 percent Veterans Administration officials testified they need annually even to maintain the current level of services. The Bush Administration has also proposed significant reductions in both the VA's nursing home program and state home nursing care programs. Especially at a time when we are welcoming home a new generation of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, this is no time to shortchange our veterans and their families of the medical care they need and deserve."

Defense

"While the Administration's budget provides a of $19.3 billion increase over last year's funding for the Department of Defense, it underfunds important programs for our military personnel and families," said Reyes. "It only provides a bare minimum pay raise of 3.1 percent, does not provide targeted pay raises to senior enlisted personnel and junior and warrant officers, and does not increase the death gratuity for the families of those killed in service to our nation.

"The President's budget contains $8.8 billion for ballistic missile defense (BMD) programs. While this represents a cut of almost $1.1 billion (10.7 percent) from the FY 2005 level of $9.9 billion, no major programs were eliminated, and BMD funding remains near historic highs."

Education

"Unfortunately, the Administration's proposed budget shortchanges several education programs that are especially important to El Pasoans," said Reyes. "It eliminates the Perkins loan program, which provides low-interest loans to low- and middle-income college students and only increases Pell Grant awards for eligible undergraduate students by $100. At UTEP, tuition has increased 28 percent since 2003. Education is one of our nation's most important investments and it must be a financially realistic option for all."

http://wwwc.house.gov/reyes/news_detail.asp?id=757