worth reading/ this is a reply to my sister

[Guest guest]

From: senator_bingaman@...

Date: 03/08/05 13:07:25

calebhunts@...

Subject: Responding to your message

March 8, 2005

Dear :

Thank you for contacting me regarding the President's

budget request for fiscal year 2006. I appreciate your taking the

time to write.

I share your concerns with many aspects of the President's

budget request. The budget request cuts funding for 154 domestic

assistance programs for education, economic development, law

enforcement and a host of other federal assistance programs while

increasing defense spending by 4.8 percent. Many New Mexicans

depend heavily on the targeted programs, and I will work hard to

ensure that Congress provides adequate funding for essential

federal programs.

Of particular concern to me are the cuts to education and

health care. Forty-eight of the 154 programs that the President

proposes either eliminating or drastically reducing are in

education, including programs such as education technology state

grants, Upward Bound, Perkins Loans, and vocational education.

This is also the first time in a decade that a president seeks to

reduce funding for the Department of Education. With regard to

health, the President's budget contains a $60 billion cut to

Medicaid over the next decade. New Mexico relies very heavily

on Medicaid funding; it would be very difficult for our state to

absorb such drastic cuts. While I support the 17 percent increase

in funding to community health centers, I do not support the repeal

of the Healthy Communities Access Program, which supports

community health centers in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and

Lordsburg.

As for small businesses, future growth in our economy

depends heavily on the ability of our nation's small businesses to

grow. Many businesses in our state look to the Small Business

Administration (SBA) for help, but the President's budget cuts

funding to the SBA. In particular, it zeroes out the following

programs: 7(j) and Microloan technical assistance, which is

designed to help small, disadvantaged entrepreneurs gain the

training to open and maintain a business; the HUBZone program,

which was set up to stimulate economic development and create

jobs in urban and rural communities by providing federal

contracting preferences to small businesses; and the National

Women's Business Council, which was created to promote

initiatives, policies and programs designed to support women's

business enterprises at all stages of development in the public and

private sector marketplaces. These programs are essential to New

Mexico's economic development, and it concerns me that the

budget does not reflect their importance.

The President's budget also drastically cuts funding for the

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), veterans

health care, and first responders. The HUD budget is cut by 11.5

percent, eliminating the Community Development Block Grant

(CDBG) program as part of a plan to consolidate 18 federal

programs relating to economic development within the Department

of Commerce. In 2005, CDBG, which helps meet the need of low-

income communities, was funded at $4.709 billion. Under the

President's plan, total funding for all of the 18 consolidated

programs would be $3.71 billion. I will fight to increase funding

for CDBG, as it is an important program that has been effective in

helping to revitalize neighborhoods and address critical social and

economic problems throughout New Mexico. I am also deeply

dismayed that the President proposes raising veterans' health care

co-payments and charging certain veterans a $250 annual user fee.

This does not show our veterans the respect they deserve for their

service to our country. Finally, the President intends to reduce the

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) funding

by $477 million, or 96 percent. This program supports state and

local community policing activities to reduce crime and has helped

put more than 100,000 police on the streets.

Finally, the President's budget does not account for his

plans to partially privatize Social Security or for the cost of

operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, for which he has submitted to

Congress an $81.9 billion supplemental spending request. While I

support taking responsible steps to lower the national deficit, I

believe it must be done in a fiscally responsible way that does not

burden future generations. I assure you that I will continue to

work to ensure that the values and policies that have made this

country great are not undermined.

Again, thank you for writing. Please continue to inform me

of issues important to you and your community.

Sincerely,

JEFF BINGAMAN

United States Senator