Budget / Economy
Lofgren Statement on the Budget Reconciliation Bill
November 10, 2005
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) offered the following statement today on H.R.4241, the Reconciliation Spending Cuts Act:
“We have a moral obligation to the poorest in our nation. If this budget reconciliation bill passes later today, this Republican led Congress will have failed to honor that fundamental obligation.
“This budget reconciliation act will have an adverse impact on the poorest, most vulnerable Americans. This is not to pay for the rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq war. The real agenda is this: Republican’s obsession with granting even more tax cuts for the top 3% of all Americans.
“I have a hard time understanding how those who so frequently congratulate themselves on their “moral values” can advocate for billions of dollars in cuts to health care for poor children, assistance for disabled people, child support enforcement, food for the hungry poor, and foster care.
“Aren’t conservatives supposed to “conserve?” How can they pretend to be good stewards of our lands while reducing funding for agricultural conservation programs, water quality, and the protection of wildlife and biodiversity? The negative impact on future generations does not stop there. Republicans want to rewrite laws dictating how mining issues are handled. The language offered by the Republicans controlling the House Resources Committee will open up millions of acres of federal lands for sale to corporations at cut-rate prices. This bill does not even allow the government to collect royalties from the value of the minerals associated with these lands. How does this provision benefit Americans?
“I know that the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the coastal drilling provisions were temporarily removed late last night by a clever legislative slight of hand. I expect however that both will reemerge when this bad bill is reconsidered after a conference with the Senate.
“The future success of both our citizen’s and our nation’s economic vitality requires the creation and development of a highly educated, well-trained workforce. This should be something we can all agree on. How does implementing $14.3 billion in cuts to student aid help American students to achieve the higher education goals we have for them? This bill reduces support for low-income college students by increasing the interest rates and associated fees that they must bear while reducing incentives to lenders to offer these loans. This will cost the average student about $5,800.00 in additional interest costs and fees over the life of these loans. It is wrong for America to do this.
“In addition to undermining innovation and education in this country, the proposed $11.8 billion in cuts in the Medicaid program will have a harsh impact on the health of Americans who have no other health coverage. These cuts will:
- Raise co-payments for people already mired in poverty
- Allow states to offer reduced health care benefits to the poorest in our society
- Increase the number of uninsured
- Further shift costs to already struggling healthcare safety net providers and
- Help raise premiums on those with health insurance
“I don’t agree with any of that.
“The proposed $844 million in cuts to food stamps is also unwise. We have not solved the problem of hunger in America. We should not allow families to go without food merely to finance the next round of Republican tax cuts. California is one of 12 states disproportionately affected and the state will lose $44 million to this program alone in the next five years.
“This bill has $4.9 billion in cuts to child support enforcement. Republicans in the House congratulate themselves frequently for their ‘family values.’ Reducing child support enforcement and collection that helps single-parent families to provide for the needs of their children isn’t my kind of “family values.” Who knew that Republicans were on the side of deadbeat dads? In California, this bad idea will take away $3.2 billion over the next ten years in child support now collected by the state.
“Together we can do better than this morally bankrupt budget that pays for more tax breaks for millionaires by reducing help for children, seniors, college students and rural Americans.
“The House should not support policies that are designed to place narrow economic interests above the common good.
“This budget reconciliation bill should be soundly defeated."
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