Thursday, December 15, 2005
Sue prefers Viagra over Education
Your Congressional Representative, Sue Kelly, once again defied all logic and abandoned your best interests by joining the 215-213 Republican majority vote that passed the Orwellianly titled, Labor, Health & Education Spending Bill, on Wednesday.
A more apt name for this "legislation" would be the, Crime Against the Christmas Spirit Bill. Let's read some of the fine print of what is in this thing.
Well, if there is an outbreak of avian flu, we may not have enough vaccine, but at least we'll have enough Viagra to go around so we won't care.
This vote is part of the Republican Party's scheme to give themselves some cover for their tax cuts for the wealthiest among us. They, once again have decided to punish children, the elderly, the unemployed, and our health care system, so they may enrich their corporate and wealthy donors. Business as usual for Sue Kelly, Tom Delay and the Republican majority.
When is Sue going to start representing ALL the people of her district and not just the most powerful?
Demand an answer and, while you're at it, ask why she voted for this bill. 202-225-5441
A more apt name for this "legislation" would be the, Crime Against the Christmas Spirit Bill. Let's read some of the fine print of what is in this thing.
Background – Viagra Over Flu Preparedness
- The appropriations bill that funds education, health and worker initiatives is the largest domestic spending bill that Congress passes each year. This year’s $602 billion measure provides $142.5 billion for “discretionary” programs in 2006 – an overall cut of $163 million from 2005. GOP leaders were forced to make changes to the bill after the House rejected the initial agreement November 17th on a 209-224 vote. Twenty-two Republicans last month crossed party lines to oppose the measure. Only 12 opposed the version today.
- To pick up enough votes for adoption, the GOP increased rural health spending by $90 million and struck a provision barring Medicare coverage of erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra. They offset the cost of covering erectile dysfunction drugs by reducing overhead funding for the new Medicare prescription drug plan by $60 million and cutting $30 million from flu preparedness.
Key Provisions
- Freezes funding for home heating assistance at about $2.2 billion even though natural gas prices are expected to rise by nearly 40% and heating oil prices are expected to rise by 20% this winter. Experts have called for $5 billion in funding to meet the needs this year.
- Cuts $437 million from critical services to unemployed and displaced workers.
- Cuts funding for the President’s signature Community College Initiative in half to $125 million. The program helps train workers to meet the needs of high-growth industries such as health care and advanced manufacturing
- Cuts No Child Left Behind initiatives by $779 million.
- Cuts the Safe and Drug-Free School program by $87 million - nearly all school districts – about 14,000 – rely on this program for school safety, emergency preparedness, drug prevention, and anti-violence activities.
- Provides smallest increase for the National Institute for Health in 36 years leading to nearly 505 fewer research grants than just two years earlier.
- Eliminates the Healthy Communities Access Program (funded at $83 million last year) that makes grants to local consortia of hospitals, health centers, and other “safety net” providers to help build better integrated systems of care for uninsured and underinsured Americans.
- Cuts health professions training programs (other than those for nurses) by $153 million.
- The appropriations bill that funds education, health and worker initiatives is the largest domestic spending bill that Congress passes each year. This year’s $602 billion measure provides $142.5 billion for “discretionary” programs in 2006 – an overall cut of $163 million from 2005. GOP leaders were forced to make changes to the bill after the House rejected the initial agreement November 17th on a 209-224 vote. Twenty-two Republicans last month crossed party lines to oppose the measure. Only 12 opposed the version today.
- To pick up enough votes for adoption, the GOP increased rural health spending by $90 million and struck a provision barring Medicare coverage of erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra. They offset the cost of covering erectile dysfunction drugs by reducing overhead funding for the new Medicare prescription drug plan by $60 million and cutting $30 million from flu preparedness.
Key Provisions
- Freezes funding for home heating assistance at about $2.2 billion even though natural gas prices are expected to rise by nearly 40% and heating oil prices are expected to rise by 20% this winter. Experts have called for $5 billion in funding to meet the needs this year.
- Cuts $437 million from critical services to unemployed and displaced workers.
- Cuts funding for the President’s signature Community College Initiative in half to $125 million. The program helps train workers to meet the needs of high-growth industries such as health care and advanced manufacturing
- Cuts No Child Left Behind initiatives by $779 million.
- Cuts the Safe and Drug-Free School program by $87 million - nearly all school districts – about 14,000 – rely on this program for school safety, emergency preparedness, drug prevention, and anti-violence activities.
- Provides smallest increase for the National Institute for Health in 36 years leading to nearly 505 fewer research grants than just two years earlier.
- Eliminates the Healthy Communities Access Program (funded at $83 million last year) that makes grants to local consortia of hospitals, health centers, and other “safety net” providers to help build better integrated systems of care for uninsured and underinsured Americans.
- Cuts health professions training programs (other than those for nurses) by $153 million.
Well, if there is an outbreak of avian flu, we may not have enough vaccine, but at least we'll have enough Viagra to go around so we won't care.
This vote is part of the Republican Party's scheme to give themselves some cover for their tax cuts for the wealthiest among us. They, once again have decided to punish children, the elderly, the unemployed, and our health care system, so they may enrich their corporate and wealthy donors. Business as usual for Sue Kelly, Tom Delay and the Republican majority.
When is Sue going to start representing ALL the people of her district and not just the most powerful?
Demand an answer and, while you're at it, ask why she voted for this bill. 202-225-5441
