Hearing: Members' Day

Statement

Hearing: MEMBERS' DAY

Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, thank you for the
opportunity to appear before you today to express my hopes and
reservations on the President's Federal budget request for fiscal year
2007. After taking a week to carefully review the President's budget
request, I have discovered some encouraging proposals that will assist
the nation on the road toward assuring our independence from foreign
oil, expanding math and science education and supplying our troops with
the equipment they need to fight the War on Terror. While there are
many encouraging proposals incorporated within the President's Budget
there are some spending decisions that concern me; especially one that
directly affects my constituents. That program is the USDA-NRCS Flood
Mitigation Program and I want to focus on the President's decision to
zero out its funding today.
I agree that the government must be fiscally responsible with
taxpayer's money. Federal spending, over the course of the past 5
years, has risen faster than at any time in the past four decades. In
addition, the nation faces a costly war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina
clean-up costs, and rising entitlement spending. The largest
entitlement programs; Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, are
projected to cost $1.132 trillion this year and account for about 42
percent of the entire Federal budget, as Congressional Budget Office
figures show. By comparison, Defense is 15.8 percent of the 2007
budget. As a result, budget deficits remain high and are expected to
soar when the baby boom generation begins retiring in the next few
years. We need to slow the growth of Federal spending in order to
regain control over the spiraling costs of our mandatory programs.
The recent passage of the Deficit Reduction Act will place the
government on the path of fiscal responsibility and slowed growth. The
economy is primed for this, as yesterday's announcement of the
government posting its first surplus in 3 years demonstrates. Tax
receipts surpassed spending by $10.98 billion in December--the result
of congressional action to cut taxes and spur investment in our
economy. Our policies are working, and Congress must now focus on
cutting spending. However, such reform should not be made on the backs
of America's most needy citizens.
The President's call to curb Medicare spending; to reduce funding
for critical national health research assets such as the National
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Cancer Institute; a
$100 million reduction in the Department of Homeland Security's
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program; and the inclusion of an
increase in the copay and enrollment fee for veterans seeking care from
the VA are all issues that concern me greatly and must be addressed
through congressional action.
As a Member of Congress representing Eastern Pennsylvania and the
greater Philadelphia region, I am concerned that Amtrak is severely
under-funded in the President's request. Thousands of commuters rely on
Amtrak's Northeast Corridor rail service each day to commute to their
jobs, up and down the East Coast from Boston to Washington, DC.
Although Amtrak has been the target of criticism for its management
system and business structure, its operation is integral to the health
of our economy. Additionally, as more Americans take the train each
day, they leave their cars behind which means there are fewer cars on
the road contributing to pollution as well as gasoline demand. I
support the full funding of Amtrak rail service. The President's
proposed $900 million for Amtrak falls woefully short of the estimated
$1.5 billion necessary to prevent cuts in service and will not allow
for future investment in America's rail system.
However, one specific program that has a direct impact on my
constituents in the 8th District of Pennsylvania concerns me the most--
the elimination of funding for USDA-NRCS flood mitigation programs. I
have written to Chairman Nussle on this subject, however, I wanted to
come here and speak to you personally and have my concerns placed into
the record.
We must continue to protect Americans from the threat posed by
natural disasters. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita demonstrate this need
clearly. Flooding continues to destroy homes, businesses and
communities throughout America. I am concerned that the President's
FY07 Budget eliminates all funding for USDA-NRCS watershed protection
and flood prevention programs. The budget proposes $0 for Watershed
Planning, $0 for Watershed Operations and $15.3 million for
Rehabilitation of aging watershed dams in spite of the fact that these
watershed programs have improved the safety of lands previously
considered to be in a constant threat of flood damage. Even before
Hurricane Katrina, flood damage in the United States was estimated to
cost $2 billion annually.
Hurricane Katrina has taught us that adequate infrastructure is
vital to protect and maintain our communities' homes, businesses and
roads from flooding. Zeroing out funding for watershed planning and
watershed operations would have a severe effect on flood mitigation
projects like elevating and flood proofing properties and implementing
resource management systems across the United States. In my district
alone, severe flooding has caused millions of dollars in damage to
houses along the Neshaminy Creek. A combination of state and Federal
funding has allowed many of these houses to be razed or elevated to
prevent future damage. Those projects; and nearly 2,000 other projects
like it across the nation would be restricted, if not terminated, if
the President's request is to go forward.
Therefore, I strongly support continued funding of the USDA-NRCS
Watershed Programs. This funding is essential to the preservation of
storm ravaged areas of our nation and I encourage my colleague's
support of this necessary program. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the
time to speak to you today. With that, I yield the balance of my time.

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