OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

E-Newsletter

Date: April 29, 2005
Issues: Senior Citizens Entitlements and the Safety Net


E-Newsletter
April 29, 2005

Republicans Pass Morally and Fiscally Irresponsible FY2006 Budget

Yesterday, I joined my Democratic colleagues Martin Sabo, Jim Oberstar, Collin Peterson, and Republican Representatives Jim Ramstad and Gil Gutknecht in voting against the FY2006 Budget Conference Report. This Republican budget resolution gives $106 billion in tax cuts to the wealthiest people in the U.S. while making dramatic cuts to programs that help children, students, working families, and seniors. No Democrat in the House or Senate voted in favor of the budget conference report. Here are the top reasons why:

l $106 billion in new tax cuts over the next five years, 75 percent of which will benefit people with incomes over $200,000 a year.
l $34.7 billion in cuts to mandatory programs over the next five years, including up to $14.7 billion in cuts to Medicaid and $12.6
billion in cuts to student loans, school lunch programs and pension security.
l Spends 100 percent of the Social Security trust fund surplus over the next 10 years in order to fund tax cuts for millionaires.
l $3.15 billion in cuts to non-defense discretionary programs including housing assistance for low-income families, seniors, and
people with disabilities; education programs; and community development by next year alone.

Please be assure that I will continue to push for just and responsible funding for programs that meet the needs of all Americans.
President Bush Confirms Plan to Privatize Social Security Will Lead to Benefit Cuts On the same day Republicans passed a budget that gave the wealthiest Americans billions in tax cuts, President Bush proposed to cut Social Security benefits to middle-class seniors. Shifting the burden and pain onto the middle-class as the president wants to do is not the solution to strengthening Social Security or keeping America strong. For more information on Social Security, please visit my Social Security web page.

Commemorating Africa Malaria Day

Earlier this week, I helped to mark the first ever United States commemoration of Africa Malaria Day, part of a global effort to build awareness of the crippling effects of malaria on the world's most vulnerable citizens. Recognizing American support of the fight against malaria, I was joined by Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS); Youssou N'Dour, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and Grammyaward winning African musician; Jack Valenti, President of Friends of the Global Fight; Timothy E. Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation; and Jack C. Chow, Assistant Director General of the World Health Organization. Click here to read my statement.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Betty McCollum
Serving Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District

http://www.mccollum.house.gov/vertical/Sites/%7B6CD95013-7C42-4AD8-A464-EB8D8679E9C9%7D/uploads/%7BEA3641BD-1457-4D96-81D4-591F0D6DC7BF%7D.PDF

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