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Comments of Senator Patrick Leahy [(Thurs., May 10, 2001) -- On a vote of 53-47, the U.S. Senate today passed the budget and tax plan advanced by congressional Republican leaders and President Bush. Senator Patrick Leahy, who voted against the plan, issued these comments after the vote:] "The president's budget is a reversal of the fiscal discipline and sound budget policies that have given our economy its solid foundation. Congress has taken the uncertain projected surplus and gambled it on a budget plan that rewards the wealthiest of Americans at the expense of working families. "This budget reflects an unfortunate shift in our priorities. A tax break skewed toward the wealthiest has apparently become more important than the future of Social Security, Medicare, education or the environment. The cost of the Bush tax plan seriously hinders our ability to pay off the national debt so that we can finally be debt-free by the end of the decade. Like someone who has finally paid off their credit cards but still faces a hefty home mortgage, the federal government has finally balanced its annual budget, but we still have a national debt to pay off. In the meantime, taxpayers have to pay almost $900 million in interest every working day to keep the national debt afloat." ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND - BUDGET PACKAGE National Debt. Focusing budget surpluses on paying off the national debt would have helped sustain our sound economy by keeping interest rates low. Now Vermonters may not gain ground with lower mortgage costs, car payments and credit card charges with low interest rates, and small business owners in Vermont may not be able to invest, expand and create jobs with low interest rates.Law Enforcement. The budget contains an amendment offered by Senator Leahy for a $1.5 billion increase in budget authority ($32.4 billion total) for essential Department of Justice programs to help state and local law enforcement agencies fund essential programs. Agriculture and Environment. The budget does not contain an amendment offered by Senator Leahy and accepted by the Senate to increase funding for agriculture conservation programs on private lands by $1.3 billion. This funding was to support nationally-successful programs like the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, the Farmland Protection Program, and the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program -- programs that truly help farmers keep their working lands and that help private landowners enhance their communities' water quality, open space, and wildlife habitat. Education. This budget resolution conference report ignores the Senate's actions and does not provide sufficient funds for our students, teachers and schools. This budget contains no increase for K-12 or higher education discretionary spending and only minimal mandatory spending increases for education and training. It does not contain the Jeffords/Breaux amendment, which would have increased funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) Act, that would have fulfilled the Federal government's responsibility to our most vulnerable children. Veterans. The budget includes a $1 billion increase in discretionary veterans health spending. That increase barely covers inflation in the Department of Veterans Affairs' current programs, let alone provides the department flexibility to increase the availability and quality of care. The budget squeezes this money out of critical veterans health research programs, leaving investigations into spinal injuries and war wounds at inadequate levels. The budget also drops a provision passed by the Senate that would have allowed military retirees to receive their full VA disability and retiree pay earned during their lifelong service.
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