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Denver, Colorado - A new "Rural Report Card" unveiled today by the
U.S. Senate Democratic Policy Committee details the failures of President Bush's
leadership for rural America, and the devastating impact the Bush Administration's
cuts will have on the quality of life of rural Americans. The report card was
issued today for the second year in a row by Congressional Democrats led by
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), the Chair of Rural Outreach for the Senate Democratic
Caucus.
The "Rural Report Card" highlights five areas in which President
Bush has proposed steep cuts disproportionately weighted toward rural America
including law enforcement, health care, education, economic development, and
agriculture.
"Republicans in Washington want to balance tax cuts for the wealthy on
the backs of working families," said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat
Waak. "The steep cuts in the President's new budget proposal will disproportionately
affect rural families in Colorado. Democrats are committed to protecting jobs
and strengthening the economy in rural America. Instead of leaving an immoral
debt to our children and grandchildren, Colorado's Republicans in Washington
should join Democrats in fighting for balanced budgets, and for the resources
rural Americans need. Together, America can do better."
The report card details the Bush Administration's failures as follows:
Economic Development
Rural businesses face a changing global economy and increasing costs, and
economic development programs provide them with skills and tools to help them
compete. The President's budget would drastically cut economic initiatives relied
on by rural communities. The economic development initiatives specifically benefit
communities with 3,000 or fewer residents. These cuts will be detrimental to
rural America. The cuts will devastate Community Development Block Grants, the
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Rural Housing, Water and Sewer Assistance,
grants for rural businesses, grants and loans to rural utilities, grants and
loans for renewable energy systems, funding for county payments through the
Forest Service, and funding for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for the third
year in a row.
Agriculture
The President's budget includes cuts in farm and nutrition programs that are
vital to farmers and rural Americans. Cuts will reduce commodity payments across
the board by five percent, devastate funding for food and nutrition programs,
eliminate millions for specialty crop block grants to states, and under fund
conservation programs.
Rural Law Enforcement
The President has proposed a total of $1.2 billion in cuts to state and local
law enforcement programs, including programs specifically designed to assist
rural communities, and help combat the growing methamphetamine problem.
These cuts will devastate programs such as Firefighter Assistance Grants, the
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, the Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) program, and juvenile justice programs.
Rural Health Care
The President's budget proposal slashes programs designed to help rural communities
address their unique health care challenges. It proposes only $27 million for
rural health programs in Fiscal Year 2007, a cut of 83 percent from Fiscal Year
2006. The President proposes terminating rural hospital flexibility grants,
the rural and community access to emergency devices program, and area health
education centers. His budget would slash $17 billion from Medicaid, on which
more than 50 million low-income people depend for their health care. The President's
budget would also eliminate Area Health Education Centers, which provide vital
health and health education services to rural areas.
Rural Education
President Bush has proposed cutting education funding by $2.1 billion, the
largest amount in the history of the Education Department. In addition, the
President's budget proposes eliminating 42 programs, including all the vocational
and technical education programs, education technology state grants, GEAR UP,
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities State Grants, TRIO Talent Search
and Upward Bound. The cuts will devastate School Improvement Programs for Rural
Education, After-School Programs, and the Individuals with Disabilities in Education
Act
For a full copy of the "Rural Report Card" visit the Democratic Policy
Committee website at:
http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-new.cfm?doc_name=fs-109-2-22
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