Mike Levin: “I cannot support the budget resolution which the majority has presented to us. First, it reduces funding for Medicare…”

“I cannot support the budget resolution which the majority has presented to us. First, it reduces funding for Medicare and Medicaid more than is necessary in order to provide dollars for tax cuts which are likely to benefit most of the wealthiest among us. The budget also reduces discretionary funding for education from current levels--and I emphasize that--the funding for education is being reduced in this budget from current levels for 5 of the next 6 years. It does that at the same time that it increases the funding for defense each and every year during that period, including $11 billion more for next year than the Pentagon requested. Those are not the right priorities. Last year we fought long and hard before succeeding in restoring funding for education, such as Head Start, vocational education, the title I reading, writing and math skills program, Perkins loans and the State student incentive grants for college students. I believe it would be shortsighted to now retreat from a firm commitment to the best investment in our future, and that is education. We have now reduced the deficit for three straight years, and we are on the verge of a fourth. We are doing that--reducing the deficit for three straight years--for the first time since World War II. During those same years, the deficit has been cut by more than half, from $290 billion in 1992 to less than $145 billion in 1996. We should build on that progress, and we should continue that progress.”