Rep. Courtney, Democratic Congress Pass Fiscally Responsible, Deficit Lowering Budget Conference Report without Raising Taxes

Press Release

Congressman Joe Courtney and the Democratic-led Congress have passed a fiscally responsible budget conference report today that beats back President George Bush's proposed cuts to important programs, and creates a budget surplus by 2012.

"I am proud to support this budget conference report because it continues to restore fiscal discipline to Washington that has been absent for nearly a decade without raising taxes," stated Courtney. "President Bush and Congressional Republicans squandered away the budget surplus in 2000 and sent our nation's finances spiraling into the red. This sensible financial plan will balance the budget and build a surplus for the future by 2012 without creating additional burdens on taxpayers."

Congressman Courtney notes that this budget continues to follow the Democrat's self-imposed ‘pay-go' rules that require offsets for most new spending in the federal budget. Click here for a side-by-side comparison of the President's budget priorities versus the recently passed budget conference report.

The conference report contains the following important provisions:

- The resolution calls for relief from the AMT, benefitting more than 20 million households

- Increases veterans' funding for 2009 by $3.7 billion (8.2 percent) above current level

- Provides full authorized level of LIHEAP funding ($5.1 billion) and rejects cuts to
Weatherization program

- Provides $7.7 billion in funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency -- $2.8 billion
more than 2008 levels (55.4 percent increase)

Mandatory Programs - Accommodates Initiatives, including:

- Expansion of children's health insurance

- Reforms to Medicare

- Reforms to Higher Education to make college more affordable

Rejects President's cuts to important programs:

- Rejects the President's cuts to education, including the elimination of 47 education programs
and instead provides funding for No Child Left Behind, Head Start and special education

- Rejects the President's cuts to Medicare ($479 billion) and Medicaid ($94 billion) over ten
years

- Rejects more than $18 billion over five years in new fees for veterans and military retirees

- Rejects the elimination of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program

- Rejects cuts to critical EPA programs

Source