Women's History Month

Budget Cuts Would Impact Florida's Women and Children

Democrats believe that on every issue our nation faces, we must pursue policies that take our country in a new direction. The Bush Administration’s FY 2008 budget fails on that score; it continues with more of the same wrong priorities of the past six years that have failed Florida families and the American people. It is fiscally reckless, adding trillions to the deficit over the next 10 years, and morally irresponsible, slashing funding for key priorities, such as health care and education, critical to America’s middle class. Democrats are fighting for a budget that reflects the values of America’s working families. We are working to restore fiscal responsibility and to deliver results to the American people, along with economic prosperity, a strong national defense, affordable health care and energy prices, and strong public schools.

Cuts Vital Health Care Programs. SThere are 3,703,000 Floridians without health insurance, a 31% increase since 2000. [CPS, 8/06] Since 2000, Florida workers are paying $1,367 more to insure their families – a 69% increase. [KFF, 9/06; MEPS, 8/06] And yet the President’s budget slashes critical health insurance programs, including cutting Medicare by $66 billion and Medicaid by $25 billion over 5 years. The Medicare cuts result in $1,394,810,567 in cuts to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health providers serving seniors and people with disabilities in Florida over the next 5 years. [AHA, 2/07] In addition, while the President’s budget would slightly increase the federal contribution to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), preliminary estimates indicate it is between $7 to $10 billion less than is needed to merely continue covering the children already enrolled. Underfunding SCHIP does nothing to help the 733,000 uninsured children in Florida. [KFF, 2005]

Betrays Florida's Children. Over the past six years, Republicans have underfunded the No Child Left Behind Act by $71 billion nationwide. Under the President’s budget, 158,629 children in Florida will go without promised help in reading and math. [Senate Appropriations Committee, 2/07] Similarly, under the President’s budget, 107,055 children in Florida will fail to receive afterschool services promised under the No Child Left Behind Act. [Senate Appropriations Committee, 2/07] The President’s budget also slashes funding for the Safe and Drug-Free School Program by 71 percent. Last year, Florida received $16,479,849 in Safe and Drug-Free School funding. [Education Department, 2/07] Finally, Head Start is a vital program for 35,530 children in Florida and yet the President’s budget once again underfunds the program, cutting it by 1.5 percent below the 2007 level. [HHS, 2/07]

Does Not Do Enough to Protect America Here At Home. The President’s budget slashes first responder funding in the Homeland Security Department by 42 percent below this year’s level. For example, the State Homeland Security Grant Program, which provides funds to first responders and awarded $226,594,450 to Florida from 2003 to 2006, is slashed by 64 percent in FY 2008. [DHS, 1/07] The budget also cuts the Law Enforcement Terrorist Prevention Program (LETPP), which awarded $55,636,891 to Florida from 2004 to 2006, by 30 percent. [DHS, 1/07] The budget also slashes funding for the COPS program by 94 percent.

Fails to Honor Promises to Florida's Veterans and Troops. There are 1,788,496 veterans in Florida and 20,634 brave Floridians currently serving their country in Afghanistan and Iraq. [DOD, 12/31/06] The President’s budget shortchanges veterans’ health care, providing an increase in FY 2008, cutting funds in FY 2009 and 2010 (below the proposed FY 2008 level) and freezing funding for VA health care thereafter. This generally flat funding is inadequate in light of the badly wounded troops returning from Iraq that could overwhelm the VA health care system. The President’s budget imposes new health care fees on 1.3 million veterans and may increase TRICARE health premiums for many of the nation’s military retirees under 65.

Cuts Job Training and Employment Assistance. Since President Bush took office, 51,300 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Florida, with 304,100 people currently looking for a job. [BLS, 2/07] Family income in Florida has dropped by $569 since 2000, while health care and energy prices are climbing. [CPS, 8/06] And yet the President's budget eliminates $141,585,000 in funding for job training and employment services in Florida. [FFIS, 2/07] And the President’s new block grant is unlikely to make up for this loss of funding. The President's budget also eliminates $36,373,000 in vocational education funding in Florida, which has played a critical role in preparing students at high schools and community colleges for today's job market. [FFIS, 2/07] Creates Trillions Of Dollars In New Deficits That Threaten Our Economy. The national debt has increased to $8.7 trillion, increasing our borrowing from foreign countries. The President’s budget squanders trillions of dollars on permanent tax cuts for the wealthy – giving Florida's wealthiest one percent $117,896 in tax breaks in 2010. [CTJ, 10/06]

Cuts Small Business Administration Funding. Small businesses employ nearly half of all workers and create three out of four new jobs, but the President cuts the Small Business Administration by 25 percent from last year’s request and 45 percent from 2001. The budget cuts 17 out of 25 core programs, including key business counseling and outreach programs such as Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, the Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs and technical assistance programs. These cuts take us in the wrong direction as we work to expand and add to the 1,837,800 small businesses here in Florida. [SBA, 2006]

Leaves Florida families out in the cold. Average costs for Floridians to heat their homes this winter are up 61% from 2001. [EIA, 2/07] Yet, the Bush Administration cuts low-income home energy assistance (LIHEAP) for Florida families by $6,526,000, slashing help to working Americans to pay their energy bills. [FFIS, 2/07] Further, the President is cutting by 40 percent the Weatherization Assistance Program, denying help to an estimated 40,000 low-income Americans who are on waiting lists to reduce their energy bills by purchasing storm windows and insulation to improve their home’s energy efficiency.

Gives No Relief to Working Families Struggling with Still High Gas Prices. Gas prices have increased by nearly a dollar in Florida since January 2001, an increase of approximately 69 percent. [EIA, 2/07 & 1/01; AAA Fuel Gauge Report, 2/07] Ending our addiction to foreign oil is a key step in ensuring that energy will be more affordable for America’s families in the future and that America’s families are not at the whim of overseas oil cartels. But the President’s total budget request for renewable energy and energy efficiency is the same as it was in 2001, and stagnant funding will not lead us to energy independence

Revives Attack on Social Security. Social Security provides millions of Americans a secure retirement after a lifetime of hard work, but the President once again proposes to privatize Social Security. This would cut Social Security benefits for the middle class and add trillions to the national debt. If the President’s plan were in place today, 2,367,379 Floridians would suffer an average $6,826 benefit cut annually. [Ways & Means Committee, 9/06]

Cuts Funding for Florida's Environmental Programs, Including the Clean Water Program.For the seventh year in a row, the Bush budget proposes significantly cutting funding for programs that protect public health and the environment. It slashes funding for the states’ Clean Water revolving loan funds, which help improve wastewater treatment, by $13,343,000 in Florida. [FFIS, 2/07] The President’s budget also cuts the nation’s funding for environmental justice programs that protect the health of low-income and minority communities from environmental toxins by nearly $2 million or 28 percent below the 2007 level.

Cuts Funding For Vital Community Revitalization.The budget eliminates $18,254,000 in funding from Florida's Community Services Block Grant, which works to lessen poverty in communities, and cuts $29,098,000 in funding from the Social Services Block Grant, which provides people in Florida with social services directed toward achieving economic self-sufficiency. >[FFIS, 2/07] The budget slashes $32,381,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding in Florida, which provides critically-important funding for affordable housing, employment counseling, and transitional assistance. [FFIS, 2/07]

Democrats are committed to a new direction for America in which the interests of hardworking Florida families take priority over the special interests. That kind of honest leadership is needed to bring real solutions to the American people, along with economic prosperity, a strong national defense, health care that works for everyone, fiscal responsibility, and strong public schools.