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“GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE ON THE BUDGET RESOLUTION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2112-H2113 on March 19, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE ON THE BUDGET RESOLUTION
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bonner). Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk further about the budget. Much has been said, and I will not go over it, that this budget, as we now have our thoughts and prayers with our troops overseas, does not even include any mention of the war, of the cost of the war. It does not include funding for first responders adequately. It does not adequately fund education and special education. It would force cuts to VA benefits.
But let me just address two matters that I think really should be underscored that are failings in this budget. One has to do with Medicare.
I have heard Members on both sides of the aisle speak passionately about the need for prescription medicine coverage, yet the majority's budget resolution contains only $28 billion in new spending, when the lowest estimates for this kind of funding are about $400 billion. In other words, if this is going to happen, it would pull money not out of thin air, but it would pull money out of Medicare, other Medicare programs and out of Medicaid spending. That will not work.
In the area of research and development, our investment in science, research and development is a necessary investment to provide the growth in productivity that is required, that is really postulated for this budget resolution. That growth will not come unless we invest in research and development.
NIH funding, which was previously on a doubling path, the majority seems to think little of the achievements of the NIH researchers in hemophilia, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer's and all of these other areas. Their budget reduces appropriated health programs by almost 5 percent in 2004.
With the looming war in Iraq, with the continued instability in the Middle East, with the threat of global climate change, you would think we would be increasing our funding for research in carbon reduction in fuels, but the funding for the Department of Energy's Office of Science remains flat. So, these are major shortcomings in the budget.
I see my friend from New York on his feet, and I would be pleased to yield to the gentleman.
(Mr. ISRAEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and let me thank the gentleman from the other side for accommodating us.
Mr. Speaker, I supported tax cuts in 2001. That was before 9/11. That was before our war on terrorism. That was before a potential war in Iraq. That was before we had new homeland needs. But today the world is different. We have new challenges. We have to make sure that our budgets keep pace with those challenges and are responsible in adapting to those challenges.
We cannot send young people into an unfunded battle in Iraq tonight and slash their veterans benefits when they come home tomorrow by $15 billion. We cannot offer the deepest tax cuts to the very richest and balance budgets on the backs of those who are fighting on our fronts.
I represent some constituents who would benefit greatly by a tax cut at the top brackets. I cannot think of a single one who would come up to me at a Support Our Troops rally or a reservist center and say,
``Congressman, I will take my $90,000 tax cut now, and I don't care if veterans have to stand in longer lines, have shortages of beds or can't get into VA hospitals tomorrow.''
We all want to engage in shared sacrifice. We are at a critical time in our Nation's history. Our first obligation has to be to our seniors and those fighting for our freedom in Iraq and other dangerous places in the world. We cannot cut their beds, their budgets; we cannot balance tax cuts on their backs.
So I am hopeful that the Members of this body on both sides of the aisle will review these budgets and get back to the real priorities of America, taking care of our senior citizens, taking care of our veterans, making sure that we are meeting our obligations to them, taking care of our children, and making sure that their future is not laced with deficits and that we are not balancing budgets on their backs as well.
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