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July 4, 2007
Gary Zuckett
Capito should stand up to president on the budget
After six years of the Bush administration’s irresponsible budget cuts and
reckless tax breaks, it was reassuring to see the new Congress pass a budget
this year that begins to reverse course and restore America’s focus on our
health care, education and other human-needs priorities.
But the fight is far from won. The looming battle between Congress and the
White House over the federal budget is likely to be an uphill climb, and Rep.
Shelley Moore Capito could play a central role. President Bush has threatened to
veto any bill that increases domestic spending above the artificial and
inadequate limits he set in his February budget request. Many in the president’s
party promise to uphold such a veto before spending bills have even been passed.
This represents partisan politics at its worst, placing the interests of the
Republican’s leadership over the interests of millions of Americans. However,
Rep. Capito and her colleagues don’t work for President Bush or the Republican
Party. They work for us, and the next couple of months will be an important test
for Rep. Capito. We’ll see if she has the courage to stand up to the president
and vote against even more cuts to health care, education and other programs
that benefit working-class families.
According to West Virginia Citizen Action Group’s recent report “First Things
First,” the president’s budget would:
Cut West Virginia’s K-12 education funding by $31.1 million in 2008,
eliminating much of the additional funding Congress provided to help states
implement No Child Left Behind.
Cut West Virginia’s child-care funding by $3 million over five years. The
number of children receiving child-care assistance nationally would fall by
300,000 by 2010.
Cut West Virginia’s Head Start funding by $3.4 million in 2008 on top of
previous cuts. Under the president’s budget, programs would serve 5,300 fewer
children than the programs served in 2002.
s Cut West Virginia’s funding for low-income energy assistance by $4 million
next year, vastly curtailing the ability of states to provide assistance to
vulnerable households, often the elderly or persons with disabilities.
Cut West Virginia’s funding for clean and safe drinking water by $16.6
million next year. Among the programs impacted are EPA grants to states for
sewage treatment plants and clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure
projects.
s Eliminate funding for West Virginia’s Community Services Block Grant, a cut
of $7.2 million next year to state community action agencies that work to
alleviate poverty.
Bush’s upside-down tax and budget priorities have contributed to rising
income inequality, deteriorating public services, and less help for those who
need it most. By threatening to veto appropriations bills that would reverse
these trends, the president is, in reality, threatening to veto the needs of our
families and children — putting their health, education, and futures in
jeopardy.
Last November, the American people overwhelmingly rejected the upside-down
policies of the president and his party’s leadership in Congress, and our new
leadership has begun to change course. But when it comes to budget
appropriations, a presidential veto can be devastating. The president can’t pick
and choose pieces of the budget to nix. If he vetoes an appropriations bill, he
vetoes everyone’s appropriations. In other words, if the president follows
through with his reckless veto threat, and Rep. Capito and her colleagues don’t
have the courage to override him, we’ll be back to square one with cuts to
children’s health care, education and tax credits to help West Virginia
families.
One of these critical supports is the popular and highly successful state
Children’s Health Insurance Program. Congress has proposed a $50 billion boost
to cover the 9 million children nationwide who still aren’t covered, but the
president’s budget — and veto pen — would actually shrink the program’s
resources and leave even more kids in jeopardy. It would fail to even provide
enough money to continue to cover the children who are in the program now. Every
child deserves — and needs — good health care. It’s been well documented that
children without insurance are not only more susceptible to health problems;
they’re also more likely to struggle in school.
Speaking of school, the president’s budget also falls woefully short when it
comes to education spending, even on successful programs like Head Start. Head
Start has proven to narrow the school readiness gap between low-income children
and their more advantaged peers, and has provided thousands of West Virginia
children with a level playing field to succeed in school. Head Start in West
Virginia has suffered funding cuts of 11 percent since 2002 and once again,
Bush’s reckless veto threat leaves these deserving kids at risk.
To add insult to injury, as the president tries to save money by cutting
children’s health care and education, he wants to continue his irresponsible tax
cuts for the already rich. The Bush tax cuts have overwhelmingly benefited
wealthy and corporate special interests, while our most vulnerable Americans
sink further into poverty. For the first time in six years, we have a chance to
do something about that, but not if those in Congress revert to partisanship and
political grandstanding. It’s going to take courage and leadership. Rep. Capito,
it’s your move.
Zuckett is executive director of West Virginia Citizen Action Group.
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