Congressman Henry Cuellar voted today against the FY2007 budget and its deep cuts to education, healthcare, and other valuable federal programs. This budget also adds trillions of dollars to the national deficit over the next ten years and continues a path of mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren. Congressman Cuellar continues to pursue new fiscal policies to take America in a new direction.

Cumulative funding for federal education programs will see billions of dollars in cuts affecting programs such as No Child Left Behind, Technology Grants, Drug Free School Grants, Pell Grants and many higher education initiatives as a result of this budget.

“The budget cannot be balanced by slashing education funding, the backbone of our country’s competitive edge and our economic future,” stated Congressman Cuellar.

The 2007 budget does not even keep funding for the Head Start program. As a result, 19,000 children could be cut from the program, or the program could be forced to make cuts to the services – such as qualified teachers, educational activities, and parent education – proven to help children reach kindergarten better prepared to succeed.

The budget also contains deep cuts to vocational training programs and programs for first generation and low income residents. “These programs, which I’ve worked tirelessly to protect and expand over the last year, are essential to the futures of millions of Americans,” added Congressman Cuellar. “We cannot attack America’s working class, especially our nation’s students by dramatically decreasing the assistance they deserve to improve their lives,” he continued.

On the heels of the recent Medicare deadline, seniors and disabled persons relying on federal healthcare assistance programs will continue to be disappointed as payments to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, ambulance services and other healthcare providers will be cut by $105 billion over the next ten years.

The budget also cuts health professions training and eliminates several key health programs including the Preventative Health Grant, the Healthy Communities Access Program, and many emergency medical services for children, seniors, disabled persons and working families.

Investments in veterans’ healthcare also fall short. As America continues to welcome home a new generation of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, the budget undermines their need for reliable, quality healthcare, and is $10 billion below the amount needed to maintain services at current levels over the next five years.

Congressman Cuellar is a firm believer in strong leadership, and remains unyielding in his support of alternative fiscal policies which prioritize the interest of all Americans. Congressman Cuellar said, “My vote will always be for American students, seniors, farmers, veterans and all our nation’s citizens. Now is the time that Congress and the Administration should recommit themselves to serving the needs of real people.”

Congressman Henry Cuellar is a member of the House Budget and Agriculture committees in the 109th Congress; accessibility to constituents, education, health care and economic development are his priorities.