For Immediate Release:
Monday, February 6, 2006 

WASHINGTON, D.C - U.S. Representative Dan Boren issued the following statement regarding the administration’s Fiscal Year 2007 budget proposal:

 

“Our federal budget is a statement of our priorities and values, and I agree with the president’s emphasis on national defense and homeland security.  I also think we need to be honest about the cost of these priorities.

 

“The budget calls for $50 billion to fight the war on terror, yet we are already hearing that the administration intends to ask for another $120 billion within the next year.  We have to put all of the cards on the table and be honest with the American people about the cost, rather than hide it through back-door supplemental appropriations.

 

“Despite a strong commitment to our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, the president’s budget has proposed higher healthcare premiums for our nation’s military retirees.  These men and women fought for this country and deserve what they were promised, and I continue to urge the administration to reconsider this plan.

 

“I was pleased with the president’s request to increase funding for community health care centers by $180 million.  These centers are vital to improving healthcare in rural Oklahoma, and I hope to see this funding directed to the communities that need it the most.

 

“Last year I worked closely with other members of the Blue Dog Coalition on a 12-step plan to reform the budget process.  It called for a balanced budget and the reinstatement of Pay-As-You-Go rules.  With a national debt of more than $8 trillion and climbing, there is no better time to talk about fiscal restraint and strict budget rules.”

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