Rep. Hank Johnson Votes for FY2009 Budget

Press Release

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) today voted to approve the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 budget resolution, a measure that serves as a roadmap for next year's federal spending. The resolution passed the U.S. House of Representatives 214 to 210.

The FY2009 budget will substantially increase veterans' funding, invest in green energy research and development, and provide funds to make college more affordable. The resolution will also expand children's health insurance, create an affordable housing fund, and reject Bush Administration cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

The Democratic majority has crafted a fiscally responsible budget proposal that will fund critical programs as it paves the way toward a balanced budget by 2012. The FY2009 budget will respect pay-as-you-go rules that require increases in discretionary spending to be offset by reduced spending elsewhere or revenue increases. It also includes "program integrity funding" to root out waste.

"Fiscal responsibility does not preclude funding for critical programs," said Rep. Johnson. "My colleagues and I are taking care of Americans who need support, we are cutting wasteful spending, and we remain committed to responsibly ending the massively expensive war in Iraq. The budget was balanced under the last Democratic administration and it will be balanced by the next."

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