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Sen.
Salazar’s Statement on President Bush’s Budget
WASHINGTON, DC
– Today, United States Senator Ken Salazar released the following
statement in response to the budget request President Bush released
this morning. The President’s $3.1 trillion budget is the largest budget
in our Nation’s history and creates a budget deficit of $407 billion
for Fiscal Year 2009. Under the President’s budget the national debt
will continue its meteoric rise to $10.4 trillion by the end of FY2009.
“The President’s
budget is a fiscal train wreck. It is the first budget that has amounted
to more than $3 trillion, leaving us with a record deficit that our
children will inherit. In the last eight years, there has been one constant---a
failed fiscal policy that has wiped out our surplus and replaced it
with a record buildup in debt.
“Our budget is a
reflection of our Nation’s priorities. While I am pleased the Administration
maintains critical funding to keep our defense and national security
strong, this year’s budget is more of the same, including cuts to important
programs such as rural development programs, the Community Development
Block Grant Program, grants for local law enforcement, LIHEAP, Forest
Hazardous Fuels Program and other important education-related programs.
“I will continue
to work with my colleagues in both the House and Senate through the
budget process to develop a budget that is more fiscally responsible
and reflects the priorities of the American people in making necessary
investments to strengthen our economy, address the health care crisis,
and get our Nation on the path of energy independence.”
A glance at the
President’s Budget’s Impact on Colorado:
VETERANS AFFAIRS:
The increase to VA health care is deceptive – the increased funding
comes at the expense of veterans, through increased co-payments and
higher annual enrollment fees.
- Fitzsimons Veterans
Hospital: The
President’s budget includes $20 million to build a parking structure
at Fitzsimons Hospital, far below the $61.3 million that Congress
appropriated for construction in FY08, and short of the funding necessary
to complete the hospital’s construction by 2012.
- Colorado’s Veterans
Cemetery: Recognizing the need to better prepare for circumstances
in which a VA cemetery in a region is reaching capacity, the Department
of Veterans Affairs included an additional $5 million in FY08 for
planning and land acquisition. Senator Salazar has long argued that
the VA should add a national veterans’ cemetery in the Pikes Peak
region to better serve veterans in the area and to extend the life
of Fort Logan cemetery in Denver.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LOCAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT: The President’s budget proposed cuts to the
Justice Department by 10.7 percent to $20.3 billion from $22.7 billion.
- COPS Program:
The President’s budget eviscerates the COPS program, zeroing it out
yet again, when last year it was funded at $587 million.
- Local Law Enforcement
Grants:
Budget cuts by more than half for grant programs serving state and
local law enforcement agencies, including Byrne/JAG Grants. Byrne/JAG
Grants fund Colorado’s essential meth task forces and radio interoperability
needs. CO received $6.6 million in JAG funding Fiscal Year 2007.
ENERGY:
The President’s budget proposed to cut funding to energy efficiency
and renewable energy programs by 27 percent. At a time when we are trying
to wean our country from our addiction to foreign oil and invest in
renewable energy, this cut in funding is sending the wrong signal.
- National Renewable
Energy Lab: NREL is located in Golden, CO. Senator Salazar
has called for the President to double the lab’s budget over five
years. Unfortunately, the President’s budget only funds it at the
same level as last year.
INTERIOR: Several
Interior Department Programs with an impact in Colorado would be cut.
- PILT Program:
The Payment In-Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program was cut from $232.5 million
to $195 million. PILT is particularly important to Western states
such as Colorado, which has a large percentage of public lands that
are not eligible to be taxed by state and local governments.
- NOSR lease revenues/Anvil
Points Cleanup Fund: The
President’s budget would “cancel” $24.7 million in Anvil Points cleanup
funds. Given that, upon certification of cleanup, excess funds would
be split 50:50 with the state of Colorado under the Mineral Leasing
Act, the Administration intends by this proposal to reduce Colorado’s
lease revenue receipts by $12.35 million.
FOREST SERVICE:
The President’s budget cuts critical funding for forest health reducing
the response to Colorado’s bark beetle infestation.
- Hazardous Fuels
Reduction Funds: The President proposes a 5.7 percent cut
to the Hazardous Fuels account that funds forest health treatments
on Forest Service lands with an emphasis placed on mitigating fire
danger near communities. In 2007, the Forest Service accomplished
approximately 75,000 acres of forest health treatments in Colorado;
however, Colorado currently has 186,000 acres of lands ready for treatment,
pending funding. Colorado needs more, not less hazardous fuels funding.
AGRICULTURE: The
President’s budget proposed to cut funding for agriculture and Rural
America by about 5 percent.
- Rural Development
Programs: Cuts rural development programs by $260 million.
- Agriculture Research:
The President would reduce agriculture research by 15% potentially
impacting the important agricultural research taking place around
the country including locally at Colorado State University. CSU research
include infectious animal disease research (e.g. BSE, avian flu),
wheat genetics to develop disease resistance, and beef cattle genetics
research. These cuts have been proposed and rejected in the past.
- Conservation
Programs:
Overall funding for the conservation programs at USDA is being reduced
by nearly $450 million.
- Commodity Supplemental
Food Program (CSFP): The President’s budget eliminates the
CSFP, which provides supplemental food packages to women/infants and
seniors in poverty. In Colorado, this program fills an important niche
for rural seniors who do not sign up for food stamps but need some
food assistance. This elimination would result in over 17,000 individuals/month
losing access to supplemental food resources.
HOUSING:
On housing, as it has each of the past several years, the Administration
proposes major reductions in funding for community development. These
funds support efforts by communities across the country to invest in
economic development initiatives that would otherwise be impossible.
- Community Development
Block Grant Program: The budget reduces funding for the Community
Development Block Grant Program by almost $1 billion – from $3.9 billion
in FY07 to $3 billion in FY09. The President has sought drastic cuts
in this program for several years, but Congress has restored funding
each year.
- HOPE VI Housing
Program: The President’s budget would also completely eliminate
the HOPE VI program, which funds the demolition and renovation of
severely distressed public housing units. Several Colorado communities
have taken advantage of HOPE VI funding in recent years.
EDUCATION:
The President’s budget proposal freezes all discretionary spending for
the Department of Education and eliminates 48 programs currently operated
by the Department of Education.
- No Child Left
Behind: Continues to underfund NCLB, while at the same time
calling for its reauthorization. This budget underfunds the current
NCLB law by $14.7 billion, for a cumulative shortfall of $85.6 billion
since its enactment.
- Title I Programs:
The budget also underfunds Title I programs in Colorado by over $104
million, resulting in almost 29,000 children who will be denied services.
- IDEA Program:
Underfunds the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) by $10.2 billion. The cumulative shortfall since the President
signed the Act is $30.5 billion.
HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES: The President’s budget proposal cuts overall funding
for the Department of Health and Human Services by over $2 billion.
It also slashes funding for rural health care programs that are critical
to Colorado by over 86 percent.
- LIHEAP: Reduces
LIHEAP funding by $570 million, a cut of more than 20 percent.
Rural Health Programs: Reduces funding for rural health programs in
HRSA by $150 million to $25 million.
- Rural Outreach
Grants: Proposes to completely eliminate Rural Outreach grants,
Rural Hospital Flexibility grants and the Rural and Community AED
program.
- Block Grants:
Includes drastic reductions for programs targeting Colorado communities
most in need of assistance by eliminating Community Services Block
grants, Social Services Block grants.
- Medicare and
Medicaid:
Eviscerates funding for the Medicare and Medicaid programs that Colorado
children, seniors and individuals with disabilities rely on for health
care services.
- Health Care Infrastructure:
Reduces investment in health care infrastructure by cutting
support for improvements to Colorado facilities and funding for health
workforce training programs. Proposes a 29 percent cut in funding
($61 million) to train nurses who often serve in low-income and rural
areas facing physician shortages.
TRANSPORTATION:
The President’s budget cuts critical transportation funding.
- Essential Air
Service: The President’s budget cuts the Essential Air Service
by $60 million Colorado currently has Essential Air Service at Alamosa,
Cortez, and Pueblo. A $60 million cut to EAS would represent roughly
half of its funding and eliminate EAS funding to Alamosa and Pueblo
and even possibly to Cortez.
- Federal Highway
Aid: The
President’s budget cuts federal highway funding by $1.8 billion. SAFETEA-LU
guarantees $41.2 billion for highways in FY 2009, but the Administration
proposes to provide only $39.4 billion.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE:
The President’s budget critically underfunds and zeros out several programs
critical to operating our National Parks, many of which are located
in Colorado.
- Land and Water
Conservation Fund Grant Program:
The President’s budget zeros out the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Stateside Grant Program which is a state matching grants program divided
among the states to be used to acquire land for parks and recreation
purposes. These funds are raised through user fees, gas taxes, and
oil and gas leases and are placed in a trust fund for this purpose.
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