Tannishblog

I can’t for the life of me understand the Republican agenda, wherein they cut even more taxes for millionaires and fail to fund our nations schools. So much for No Child Left Behind. Today the House passed H.R. 3010 by a party line vote. Jan Schakowski (D-IL) voted against it, here’s why:

H.R. 3010 is one of the most important bills we will consider this year, providing next year’s funding for health care, education, job training and workplace safety. The funding level in this bill is not only completely inadequate, it is a $1.6 billion cut from the current FY 2005 funding level. Because the Republican budget resolution insisted on providing $106 billion in new and extended tax cuts mostly to millionaires, this bill shortchanges children, students, workers, senior citizens, and health care consumers.

I supported the Democratic alternative which would have invested an additional $11.8 billion in priority job training, education and health problems and provided $11.8 billion for deficit reduction, paid for by reducing next year’s average tax cuts for millionaires from $140,000 to $36,500. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership would not even allow that amendment to be debated in the House of Representatives.

The Democratic staff of the House Appropriations Committee has prepared a detailed description of the bill (Click here to view report), but here are some key problems:

Many children are left behind:

• The No Child Left Behind Act has been underfunded by $39 billion since President Bush signed it into law. In today’s bill, funding is cut by $806 million from its FY05 level. The overall budget shortfall for Illinois in FY06 would be $557 million.
• The federal share of special education costs will actually drop from 18.6% to 18.1% because funding is $3.9 billion below promised levels under the 2004 IDEA Improvement Act. Illinois would lose $20 million.
• The Child Care Block Grant is frozen at current levels, the fourth years in a row it has been frozen or cut while parents cannot find safe and affordable care for their children.

Health care access and quality is jeopardized:

• National Institutes of Health funding is increased by 0.5 percent – the smallest increase in 36 years.
• 10 out of 12 health professions training programs are eliminated and nurse education is frozen.
• Despite growing needs, cuts are made in the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, mental health services and grants to care for the uninsured. The $100 million contribution to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB is eliminated.

Job training is cut while 7.6 million Americans remain uninsured:

• Job Corps – which successfully places 85% of at-risk youth into skilled jobs or college – is cut by $10 million
• U.S. Employment Service Office is cut by $116 million, eliminating job search assistance to 2.5 million people
• Adult Training Programs are cut by $31 million, to the lowest funding level in 10 years, while grants under the Community College Initiative are cut in half and training for 100,000 eliminated

How can people think they are good representatives of the people and set up our laws this way? It’s no wonder that Americans don’t bother to vote. We aren’t being represented anyway.

Because my household income is less that $100K, my government does not look out for me. Because my child needs to go to public schools, my government is not looking out for her. Because our President is trying to reinvent social security, trying to play with my investments, I feel less secure about my future. Finally, because our government is too busy fighting a war they cannot win, alienating the world in the process, I feel less secure about the future of humanity.

Will somebody please tell me I’m wrong?