Deborah Koff Ross: “Very good points, and I thank the gentlewoman for sharing that with us. In this new budget the President has given us…”

“Very good points, and I thank the gentlewoman for sharing that with us. In this new budget the President has given us, domestic non-homeland discretionary spending is cut by $5.3 billion below the 2006 level and $16.8 billion below the level needed to maintain the purchasing power at the 2006 level. Over 5 years this budget includes reductions or eliminations in 141 Federal programs, 91 of which are eliminated in their entirety, and 42 programs in the Department of Education alone. That is 42 programs within the Department of Education that are eliminated under the President's budget for fiscal year 2007. The budget includes $77 billion in gross mandatory spending cuts over 5 years through a combination of service reductions and fee increases, as we talked about, increasing deductibles and copayments and premiums for our Medicare beneficiaries, and increasing prescription drug copayments and enrollment fees for America's veterans. For America's veterans. I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that it is time for this Nation to keep its promises to our veterans, especially at a time when we are creating a new generation of veterans that are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, veterans that we should embrace and support and provide them the health care that they deserve and that they were promised when they signed up to serve and protect and defend our Nation. I mentioned Medicare.…”