Hoyer: Republican Budget Cuts Fail Maryland's Families
Hoyer: Republican Budget Cuts Fail Maryland's Families
Monday, December 19, 2005
WASHINGTON, DC-Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) today voted against the Republican budget plan that will cut billions of dollars for programs that benefit students, seniors, children, and rural families.
"For nearly five years, the Republican Party in Washington has pursued the most irresponsible - and dangerous - fiscal policies in the history of our nation," Hoyer said. "The national debt, which stands at a staggering $8.1 trillion, is threatening our economic well-being and compromising the future of our children and grandchildren."
Hoyer said the Republican budget plan fails to reflect the values of Maryland families and would put the nation even further into debt through massive tax cuts for the rich. "The Republican budget plan increases the deficit by over $100 billion, and cuts critical assistance for students, seniors, and Maryland families in need," said Hoyer.
At a time when college tuition is skyrocketing, the Republican budget slashes student loans by more than $13 billion - increasing the costs for the 91,317 student borrowers in Maryland. This includes raising student loan increasing rate caps and raising interest rates and fees on student borrowers who consolidate their loans.
"As the costs of four-year public colleges continue to rise - with a 46 percent increase since 2001 - we should be making financial aid more readily available," Hoyer added. "It is simply immoral to balance the budget on the backs of our nation's students and their families."
Furthermore, the Republican budget slashes Medicaid funding by $7 billion, which would have a severe impact on the 752,065 children, seniors and others in Maryland who rely on Medicaid for their health care. Among its cuts, the budget allows states to charge premiums and co-payments to some Medicaid-eligible children for the first time - reducing their access to health care.
"Low-income families and children rely on this assistance for their health and well being," Hoyer continued. "Meanwhile, the Republican budget plan provides $106 billion in new tax cuts, mostly for the wealthiest Americans. These are the wrong priorities for our state and nation."
The Republican budget also slashes $2.7 billion in funding for agriculture, conservation, and rural development, programs critical to Southern Maryland.
"I am disappointed that Republicans subsidized their tax breaks for the very wealthy through cuts to critical initiatives in agriculture," Hoyer said. "Farmers throughout Maryland are left out to dry by this cold-hearted plan."
Hoyer said he will continue to work with members of both parties to get America back on the right fiscal track. "The very first thing that we must do is reinstate the pay-as-you-go budget rules that were supported by Democrats and Republicans throughout the 1990s, and that led to four consecutive budget surpluses and fostered the strongest economy since World War II," he concluded. "All of Maryland's families deserve the opportunity to leave their children with a more prosperous nation than the one they inherited."
http://www.hoyer.house.gov/newsroom/index.asp?ID=562&DocumentType=Press+Release