Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), a member of the House Budget Committee, released the following statement today in response to the President’s Fiscal Year 2008 budget proposal:
“Each year, the President’s budget is an example of misplaced priorities. For six years the Administration has mismanaged the federal budget, resulting in the largest national debt in history. Now this budget proposes to cut funding for education, military families and farmers.
“The budget mess the White House and former Congressional leadership have created is far worse than the American people have been led to believe. The budget’s fuzzy math claims that it will be balanced by 2012, but that is a fraudulent claim. It’s time for the President to level with the American people and get serious about balancing the budget and paying off the national debt. As a new member of the House Budget Committee I look forward to providing rigorous scrutiny to this proposal.”
On Education
“The President’s education budget will cut education funding by $3.1 billion by 2010 below the 2006 enacted level. The budget increases Pell Grants, but eliminates funding for 10 other education initiatives, including Perkins Loan funds. I support increasing Pell Grant funding, but not at the price of eliminating initiatives that prepare students for college. Also, the budget once again under funds No Child Left Behind by $15 billion.”
On Energy
“My Democratic colleagues and I have been working to boost biofuels and decrease our dependence on foreign oil. The budget proposes $4 billion in loans for biofuels development. I plan to examine this item carefully to ensure that it will be enough to make up for the Administration’s neglect and to provide the resources we need to meet the goals the President laid out in his State of the Union address.”
On Farmers
“The President’s budget does not lay out specifics for spending on the Farm Bill, however his Farm Bill proposal on January 31 seeks to trim $18 billion in farm payments. As I said previously, before I can support this plan, the Administration must demonstrate that revenue-based payments will be more effective than our current safety net, which is well-liked among North Carolina’s farmers”
On Military Families
“The President’s budget proposes raising fees for TRICARE, as well as other changes to how military health care is funded. Congress has opposed raising fees for TRICARE in the past, and I will work to block these changes again. At a time when we are sending thousands of troops to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, I cannot support cutting funds for health care for them or their families.”