Today our congressman voted against taking care of our wounded soldiers, against providing healthcare for children, against funding education, and against deficit reduction and tax relief for the middle class – clean sweep.

Also today, DangerDemocrat found a story from UPI quoting our congressman’s concern about the military healthcare system for our soldiers:

“There is no doubt that these are most difficult times for the military health system. One of the most severe challenges rests in the fact that, for the second year in a row, the budget for the Defense Health Program has been significantly reduced with the hope of congressional support for changes to the benefit in the form of increased fees for TRICARE,” Rep John M. McHugh,R-N.Y., the ranking Republican on the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives said in a statement at the subcommittee’s hearing on the state of the U.S. military health care system.

“The budget assumes reductions to funding for military treatment facilities for the third year in a row with the expectation that these facilities must become more efficient. The fiscal year 2008 budget reduction is $2.1 billion,” McHugh said..

“It is undeniable that the care provided to our troops, their families and to our retired beneficiaries is vital to the success of our military now and in the future,” he said.

He was commenting upon the President’s budget sent to Capital Hill a few weeks ago. His words sound pretty good. He’s sounds somewhat “concerned” – a favorite word of his.

What happened today? The House passed the 2008 Budget Resolution.

After receiving the President’s budget, both the Senate and the House (usually by early April) draw up a spending plan for the year: the Congressional Budget Resolution. It provides a fiscal roadmap for the various congressional committees for later appropriations – in a future post I’ll explain the appropriations process. The Resolution balances the budget by 2012 with a surplus projected for that year.

Here are the major highlights:

  • Most importantly it increases and assures funding for wounded veterans. The resolution provides $43.1 billion for veterans in 2008, representing a 98% of the level requested in The Independent Budget, a plan developed by four leading veterans groups. It is $3.5 Billion more than Bush requested. It also rejects Bush’s proposal to raise TRICARE co-payments and removing more than 100,000 veterans form the VA healthcare system. From the Resolution itself:

    SEC. 501. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON SERVICEMEMBERS’ AND VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE AND OTHER PRIORITIES.It is the sense of the House that–
    (1) the House supports excellent health care for current and former members of the United States Armed Services, who have served well and honorably and have made significant sacrifices for this Nation;
    (2) this resolution provides $43,055,000,000 in discretionary budget authority for 2008 for Function 700 (Veterans Benefits and Services), including veterans’ health care, which is $6,598,000,000 more than the 2007 level, $5,404,000,000 more than the Congressional Budget Office’s baseline level for 2008, and $3,506,000,000 more than the President’s budget for 2008;
    (3) this resolution provides funding to implement, in part, recommendations of the bi-partisan `Walter Reed Commission’ (the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors) and other United States Government investigations into military and veterans health care facilities and services;
    (4) this resolution assumes the rejection of the enrollment fees and co-payment increases in the President’s budget;
    (5) this resolution provides additional funding above the President’s inadequate budget levels for the Department of Veterans Affairs to research and treat veterans’ mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries; and
    (6) this resolution provides additional funding above the President’s inadequate budget levels for the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the speed and accuracy of its processing of disability compensation claims, including funding to hire additional personnel above the President’s requested level.

  • Increases children’s access to health care by increased funding of the State Children’s Health Insurance project (SCHIP program).
  • Invests in Education by restoring Pell grants, increased funding of the No Child Left Behind Act along with increased funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
  • Protects middle-class taxpayers by providing Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) relief for 2007 and 2008 – one year more than the President – preventing millions of middle-class taxpayers from being subjected to the AMT. It includes no tax increase. Under PAYGO (pay as you go) it allows for new tax relief and the extension of expiring tax provisions, IF the cost of these measures is offset. By requiring offsets, the resolution protects the American taxpayer from having to pay the higher interest costs on the debt that would accumulate when tax cuts are not paid for. The resolution also calls for strong new measures to close the tax gap, shut down tax scams, and address offshore tax havens. And it sets the stage for tax simplification and reform.

Guess who voted against it. You’re right, our very “concerned” congressman. Later today, NCPR is going to showcase his concern. Any bets on them asking him about his vote today. Highly doubtful. He mouths concern and then turns his back on our soldiers.

Says all the right things: does nothing. When are we going to wake up?