Sen. Harkin: President's Budget Puts Country's Domestic Priorities On The Chopping Block

Bush axes support for job competitiveness, LIHEAP and medical breakthroughs; Harkin vows to restore funding to these critical areas in his committee's domestic funding bill

February 5, 2008 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations subcommittee, took President Bush to task for coming out with such an irresponsible, backward-thinking budget for Americans’ priorities at home. The Bush budget proposal targets the neediest among us seeking energy assistance and other services; students seeking career, technical, and nursing training; and young people interested in health research opportunities.

“I urge this lame-duck President to wake up and recognize the responsibility he has to the people of this country,” said Harkin. “This President is completely out of touch with families in every community who are struggling to get healthcare, struggling to pay their heating bills and struggling to find work. The action he took yesterday to slash program after program that children, students, families and businesses rely on is completely irresponsible and would devastate our country. Thankfully, this budget will soon be forgotten and I will work on making investments in programs that reflect the priorities of the American people.”

Competitiveness
“At a time when our economy is flailing and Americans’ job security is at risk, the President’s rationale for cutting career and job training and placement services doesn’t hold water,” said Harkin. “Our nation’s economy demands long term investments in programs like the Perkins Grants that have historically contributed to a strong middle class.

Of the many areas Bush attempts to withhold funding from, Perkins Career and Technical Education grants suffered the greatest blow. Last year the President sought to cut the program but this year he decided to completely eliminate it – zeroing out support. Nationally, approximately 17 million students are served through career and technical education programs.

Nationally, 7.7 million people are out of work and looking for a job, and another six million are either marginally attached to the labor force or are working part time for economic reasons. Nevertheless, the budget cuts Training and Employment Services account programs by almost 14 percent, or $484 million, from the $3.5 billion provided last year.

In addition, the budget eliminates $703 million currently available for State grants for Employment Service, which supports a public network that helps job seekers find and secure work through job search assistance and information services.

Access to Health Care and Hope for Cures:
“President Bush’s continued freeze on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding will have grave consequences for Americans suffering from illnesses from cancer to diabetes. It will also mean that or best and brightest young minds will be discouraged from getting into our premier research field,” said Harkin.

The Bush budget freezes funding for the NIH at $29.3 billion, which would make Fiscal Year 2009 the sixth year in a row that our nation’s investment in life-saving research failed to keep up with biomedical inflation. The projected success rate for research grant applications would fall to the lowest level on record - 18 percent.

“Nurses are essential to quality healthcare for Americans, and with dramatically increasing demand, we must do more to recruit and retain quality caregivers. It is clear that this President is not interested in addressing the major nursing shortage plaguing our country,” said Harkin.

Bush’s budget proposes a 29 percent reduction in funding to train nurses, despite the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that registered nursing will have the second greatest job growth of all U.S. professions from 2004–2014.

Support for our most vulnerable citizens
“No family should have to choose between paying their heating bills and putting food on the table. With families enduring a frigid winter in the face of skyrocketing energy costs, energy assistance is now more important than ever. Needy families should not be forgotten as they have in Bush’s budget,” said Harkin. “President Bush also chose to cut resources to our two most important safety nets at a time when more Americans are seeking assistance due to our flailing economy.”

The Bush budget proposes to cut energy assistance for low-income families (LIHEAP) program by $570 million – 22 percent - for a total of $2 billion.

The President’s budget eliminates the Community Services Block Grant which supports agencies devoted to helping the low-income community get back on their feet.

The budget cuts the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) by $500 million, or 30 percent. The SSBG shield our most vulnerable citizens - protecting children from abuse and neglect, caring for homeless seniors, and providing services to children and adults with disabilities.

Source: Senator Tom Harkin

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