Mike Capuano: “I guess I rise today in opposition to the rule, but the truth is this rule means nothing, this budget means nothing…”

“I guess I rise today in opposition to the rule, but the truth is this rule means nothing, this budget means nothing, because there are no numbers here that anyone can tell you an answer to. Most people in my district over the weekend were asking me what we are going to do this week, what is going to happen with the budget, how much money is going into education, how much money is going into health care? The truth is, not a single Member of this House or Senate can answer those questions based on this budget. They do not know. They have no idea how much money is going into education. I can tell you one thing, the Medicare system, no matter what number they use, this budget will bring the Medicare budget to insolvency much more quickly than before. Community health centers will be cut. I do not know how much, but they will be. Housing will be cut in virtually every single program; from $700 million cut for public housing capital improvement, to a $25 million cut in rural housing programs. Training for pediatricians will be cut. We think we know a number on that, but we are not sure. The National Institutes of Health will be cut. We are not sure how much, but we think it will be cut. Ryan White AIDS grants will definitely be cut. Drug elimination grants will be cut. The COPS program will be cut. We are not sure how much, but it will be cut.”