Cord Byrd: “I will vote against this conference report. This budget is a bad deal for America. It fails to address critical…”

“I will vote against this conference report. This budget is a bad deal for America. It fails to address critical deficiencies in our Nation's schools, our Nation's highways, our Nation's drinking water and sewage systems, our Nation's law enforcement, and energy independence. Instead of addressing these deficiencies, instead of planning for the future, this is a budget resolution that places short-term, partisan political gratification ahead of the long-term needs of the Nation. This Nation faces daunting challenges... The baby boom generation will begin to retire around the year 2008. That is not far away. Because of the demands of that generation, both the Social Security and Medicare trust funds are expected to be running in the red by 2016--15 years from now. Not a single dime--not one thin dime--is devoted to shoring up Social Security, and the resources allotted to Medicare and prescription drugs are totally inadequate. We know that 75 percent of our Nation's school buildings are inadequate to meet the needs of the Nation's children.”