Leahy: New Bush Budget
Is Mismatch For Vermont’s And The Nation’s Real Priorities

. . . Leahy Outlines New Budget’s Impact On Vermont

WASHINGTON (Monday, Feb. 6) – The proposed budget released Monday by President Bush undercuts Vermont’s and the nation’s real priorities on issues ranging across a variety of key environmental, housing, health care, education, and public safety programs across the country, said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who released a summary of several of the program cuts and their importance to Vermont.

Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said, “The President’s budget is a mismatch for the real priorities of ordinary Vermonters.  This budget downgrades the needs of our National Guard and our first responders at a time they are being asked to take on more responsibilities than ever before.  The priorities of our Guard, our first responders and of ordinary Americans are being made to take a back seat to the misplaced priorities of this White House.”

Agriculture/Environment --

Leahy and Sen. Jim Jeffords and Rep. Bernie Sanders Monday announced their strong opposition to a new tax on dairy farmers that is included in the President’s budget [see joint Vermont Congressional Delegation news release, posted on the Leahy website, leahy.senate.gov].

The Administration has cut more than $175 million nationwide from land conservation programs that help farmers affordably protect the environment.  In Vermont these programs have been vital tools in cleaning up Lake Champlain.  All of these conservation programs were included in the 2002 Farm Bill.  Specifically, the Bush budget cuts the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), one of the primary federal programs which farmers use to control phosphorus runoff going into Lake Champlain.  The White House also proposes cutting in half funding for the Farmland Protection Program – another program authored and led by Leahy -- which helps landowners voluntarily protect their lands from development.  The program is based on the “Farms for the Future” pilot program created by Leahy in Vermont.  The Environmental Protection Agency budget also proposes to cut more than $200 million from federal Clean Water grants to states and towns to reduce storm water runoff. 

First Responders --

The President’s budget cuts nearly $400 million in homeland security resources for state and local first responders.  The budget request calls for the elimination of the Leahy all-state minimum formula that guarantees Vermont and other states a modest but assured share of the overall funding.  Additional grant programs created earlier by Congress focus on the greater needs of high-risk and high-density states and regions.  The President also slashes 55 percent of the funding for fire departments nationwide to buy new equipment and to afford needed training.  Vermont by the end of this year will have received more than $61 million in first-responder grants under the Leahy formula since 2002, under funds already approved by Congress for this year’s budget.  Further funds for Vermont’s police, fire and rescue agencies would be in jeopardy under the President’s FY07 budget plan.

HEALTH CARE/EDUCATION --

The President’s budget hits ordinary Americans especially hard in terms of cuts in health care and education.  Almost half of the 141 programs slated for elimination come from the Health and Human Service and Education Departments. 

Health Care:

At a time when thousands of seniors are struggling to navigate the new Medicare prescription drug program, the President has proposed cutting $36 billion from Medicare.  These cuts will hurt seniors, doctors and hospitals by cutting reimbursements, and therefore ultimately access to care.  Rural health programs in the new budget are cut by more than 70 percent and Area Health Education Centers, which play an active role in educating Vermont health care professionals, are eliminated. 

On the heels of the first cut since 1970 to National Institutes of Health (NIH) medical research funding to pursue new cures and treatments to some of the most devastating diseases that affect ordinary Americans, the President now proposes cutting funding for 18 of the 19 institutes.  Some of this medical research is conducted by clinics and medical specialists in Vermont.  The budget plan would slow many of the gains made in research on cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. 

Education:

The Education Department budget once again underfunds No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  As a result, 9,408 Vermont students would be denied Title I services that they had been promised under NCLB.  The new budget also eliminates 42 education programs, including the Educational Technology State Grants, Safe and Drug Free Schools State Grants, Vocational Education State Grants, and the Gear Up and TRIO programs, all of which are important to Vermont’s students and families.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT --

Community Development Block Grants are used by states to help towns and cities promote community and economic development and to build affordable housing.  This year, Vermont’s total CDBG allocation is $8.36 million – an estimated $901,000 for Burlington and roughly $7.4 million for the rest of the state.  Now, for the second year in a row, the President proposes to eliminate the CDBG program and in its place combine 18 federal programs into a consolidated community development scheme that would result in a roughly 30 percent cut in total funding.  If the CDBG distribution criteria are retained, Vermont will lose $2.5 million in funding.  If new criteria are developed, all of the $8.36 million in funding to Vermont is in jeopardy.

NATIONAL GUARD --

The Defense budget cuts the capability of the National Guard, the nation’s primary military reserve and an essential emergency response force at home.  The Air Force seeks to remove funding for more than 14,000 pilots, maintainers and support personnel, which could lead to the closure of units across the country.  The Army is asking to convert six combat brigades and one aviation brigade to engineering and support functions, which, if ratified by Congress, will lead to loss of critical equipment and undermine the force’s ability to carry out its dual missions.  Leahy and Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), the co-chairs of the Senate National Guard Caucus, last week announced they have built a veto-proof Senate majority of 75 senators who have joined with them in opposing severe cutbacks in the National Guard.  Their initiative already has had the effect of scaling back even deeper cuts that were in earlier drafts of the President’s budget.  The Department of Defense budget request also assumes increased premiums and co-payments for retirees and members of the National Guard who participate in the TRICARE Standard health insurance.  Leahy and a bipartisan coalition have led in recent years in extending TRICARE health insurance to National Guard members and their families.  The increases will increase the financial burden on military families who have earned and deserve the easy availability of affordable health coverage through their efforts and sacrifice.

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