As Congress begins the budget process for the next government fiscal year (FY 2007 to begin October 1, 2006), it is obvious that we continue to be plagued by congressional power brokers who cannot act responsibly as stewards of our resources. The first part of the budget process is for the House and Senate budget committees – and then the full House and Senate – to pass a Budget Resolution that gives overall numbers on spending and taxation that will guide the work of the individual committees as they decide on program budgets. The Senate has passed its resolution (there will be a conference committee with the House when they do theirs).
The Senate Budget Resolution (which gives numbers for five years, although these can change year to year) includes these broad outlines:
- Increases in military and security spending (by some counts we have spent $2 trillion on
Iraq) - Cuts in discretionary programs like social services, health, food assistance, education, housing
- New rules for Medicare financing that could force cuts in other entitlements
- Hundreds of billions in tax cuts
- Huge deficits as far as the eye can see
This follows many of the characteristics of the President’s budget (what he wants but not necessarily what congress will pass) proposed earlier this year. According to the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), “The Administration budget moves in a direction that increases insecurity and reduced opportunity, especially for already vulnerable single mothers and elderly women... More elderly and low- income families will face hunger. Fewer children in low- income families will receive child care assistance. Despite the spiraling cost of housing in many parts of the country, fewer women will have access to federal housing support.” (Women and Children Last – Again: An Analysis of the President’s FY 2007 Budget www.nwlc.org/pdf/FY07_BudgetAnalysis.pdf ). If the congressional budget process continues to move in this direction, the same can be said of its results.
The Senate Budget Resolution is also dangerous because it includes a provision opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil exploration, an issue that should not be included in a budget bill. This is an effort to muffle debate on this important environmental and energy policy, and it also contributes to confusion in the budget process.
It is vital that you tell your Senators to vote against this budget resolution. OMB Watch makes it easy at:
www.democracyinaction.org/dia /organizationsORG/ombwatch/campaign.jsp? campaign_KEY=3011
For a fun way to let your elected representatives know what you want in the budget, go to Ben and Jerry’s True Majority website and move the Oreos (yes, Oreo cookies) around.
www.truemajorityaction.org/cookiebud get/ustack.html
Want to see what a budget resolution looks like? See a Senate Budget Resolution at
http://budget.senate.gov/republican/pressarchive/PrintLanguage.pdf
NPR’s On Point radio show this week covered “U.S. Spending and
http://www.onpointradio.org/sho ws/2006/03/20060313_a_main.asp
Hear Jane on KPFA’s (
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