February 28, 2005
What America is Saying About Budget Priorities
From the Center for American Progress
February 24, 2005
On February 7, President Bush rolled out his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2006. In addition to a stratospheric $427 billion deficit, the budget also contains over $200 billion in cuts to domestic discretionary programs. Many of these rollbacks hit low-income families the hardest by cutting programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and low-income housing. The budget clearly demonstrates the priorities of the Bush administration: while it extends the tax cuts for the wealthy, costing the government $1.4 trillion in revenue over the next ten years (see analysis here), it slashes support for programs that assist students and veterans. From all across the country, Americans are speaking out against Bush's wrong budget priorities, which leave so many Americans behind.
Los Angeles, Calif. - Los Angeles Times
February 9, 2005 – Letter to the Editor
"Bush's budget is out; cuts for everyone. The poor and disabled get cuts in food stamps, in child care for working women, in benefits for children on Medicaid, in subsidized housing and other programs to assist families with kids. The cuts apply to the wealthy too – millionaires get their taxes cut."
Memphis, Tenn. - The Commercial Appeal
February 10, 2005 – Letter to the Editor
"President Bush's new budget could rip a fresh, gaping hole in the nation's already tattered health care safety net. He wants to cut federal funding of Medicaid, a program that provides health care coverage for…more than 22 million children nationwide...
"We need to protect the most vulnerable among us – the youngest, the poorest and the sickest who have no other options. We need to ensure adequate levels of care for children, including those with disabilities…
"The impact of these cuts will also likely go beyond those immediately affected … Several studies have shown that substantial Medicaid cuts can weaken state economies and increase unemployment.
"The escalating war costs and huge deficits are undeniable. But this isn't a choice to make based only on numbers. It is a choice to make based on our values and priorities. We should redouble our efforts to care for those who need help the most - our children. We should say no to harmful Medicaid cuts."
Palm Beach, Fla. – Palm Beach Post
February 18, 2005 – Letter to the Editor
"Veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan will find that the Bush administration is paying for war by cutting their health-care and survivor benefits.
"The president's budget includes a provision that would double the co-payment many veterans pay for prescription drugs and charge a new fee of $250 for enrollment in the government program. Vets who used to have a $7 co-pay for prescriptions will have to pay $15… The increased costs could drive about 200,000 vets out of the system, according to one congressional analysis. This is a grateful nation?"
Posted by Melissa at February 28, 2005 08:13 AM