Grace Napolitano: “I am sorry to report, Mr. Speaker, that the Bush budget sacrifices the health of our Nation to provide tax cuts for the…”

“I am sorry to report, Mr. Speaker, that the Bush budget sacrifices the health of our Nation to provide tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent. The budget also fails to adequately address the problem of 41 million who go without health insurance; nearly 25 percent of those are uninsured children. Even 25 percent of the moderate-income families cannot afford health insurance. And eight out of 10 uninsured Americans are from working families of the United States. Unfortunately, Hispanics especially fall into this category. Over 33 percent, Mr. Speaker, of all Hispanics, 33 percent are uninsured, compared to 10 percent of non-Hispanic whites. This Bush budget cuts funding for Medicaid coverage for children, for low-income seniors, for people in nursing homes, and especially for the disabled. This budget fails to provide adequate increases for the National Institutes of Health. It cuts funds for rural health care and cuts grants to trained doctors at so very critical children's hospitals. The budget eliminates funding for the Centers of Excellence program, the Health Career Opportunity program which increases the number of minority health care providers.”