Congressional Leaders Call For Negotiations With White House On Spending

Today, Congressional Leaders met with President Bush at the White House about continuing disagreements on the fiscal year 2008 spending bills. At the end of the meeting, the leaders told reporters that they hoped that there could be fruitful negotiations with the White House to resolve what, in the context of the overall budget, are small differences.

As Speaker Pelosi stated: "Leader Reid extended the hand of cooperation and friendship to the President to work together in a way as to negotiate the very small difference between Democrats and Republicans on these appropriations bills: less than 1 percent, in fact, 0.7 percent difference in a 2 trillion dollar budget. But that difference is about border security, the education of our children, and benefits for our veterans. So, we hope that we can resolve those differences."

Congress is calling for slightly higher spending than the President because the President has proposed some damaging cuts in key priorities. The New Direction Congress's spending bills are fiscally responsible and make tough choices -- cutting or eliminating low-priority programs, but rejecting many of the President's most harmful cuts. While Congressional Leaders will continue to work with the White House on resolving their differences, they will also resist the most damaging cuts.

Below are examples of some of the cuts to American priorities included in the President's budget and how the Congress is proposing to restore them.

Harmful Spending Cuts in President's FY 2008 Budget, and How the House Spending Bills Restore These Cuts

Education

The President's budget slashes vocational education by $582 million or by almost half below FY 2007. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $1.2 billion, or $25 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget eliminates the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program, which helps lower-income students afford a higher education. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $771 million, the same as FY 2007.

The President's budget eliminates Educational Technology State Grants, despite the fact that studies have shown that technology can substantially raise student achievement. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $272 million, the same as FY 2007.

The President's budget cuts IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) state grants by $291 million below FY 2007. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $11.3 billion, or $509 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget eliminates the Even Start program, which integrates early childhood education and parenting education into "family literacy" programs to improve educational opportunities for low-income children. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $99 million, or $17 million above FY 2007.

Health Care

The President's budget cuts overall funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), our most important center for medical research, by $279 million below FY 2007. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $29.6 billion, or $750 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget cuts overall funding for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) by $221 million below FY 2007. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $6.3 billion, or $365 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget slashes overall funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), by $594 million or 9.2 percent below FY 2007. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $7.1 billion, or $666 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget cuts overall funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) by $160 million below FY 2007. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $3.3 billion, or $67 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget cuts health professions training, which is geared to increasing the number of medical graduates from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds, by $219 million or 66 percent below FY 2007. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $394 million, or $59 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget cuts training doctors at children's hospitals by $186 million or 63 percent below FY 2007. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $307 million, or $10 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget cuts rural health programs by $162 million or 54 percent below FY 2007. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $307 million, or $5 million above FY 2007.

Environmental Protection/Conservation

The President's budget slashes the State Clean Water Revolving Fund, which helps states keep water safe and clean, by $396 million or 37 percent below FY 2007. The House Interior-Environment bill restores this cut -- providing $1.1 billion, or $41 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget cuts the Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages such programs as wildlife refuges, by $51 million below FY 2007. The House Interior-Environment bill restores this cut -- providing $1.4 billion, or $79 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget cuts wildfire preparedness programs at the Forest Service by $97 million or 15 percent below FY 2007. The House Interior-Environment bill restores this cut -- providing $675 million, or $10 million above FY 2007.

Housing and Community Development

The President's budget slashes the Community Development Block Grant, which local communities use to address challenges like affordable housing and economic development, by $735 million or 19 percent below FY 2007. The House Transportation-HUD bill restores this cut -- providing $4.2 billion, or $408 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget eliminates the HOPE VI program, a successful program which revitalizes distressed and obsolete public housing projects. The House Transportation-HUD bill restores this cut -- providing $120 million, or $21 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget slashes housing assistance for people with disabilities by $112 million or 47 percent below the FY 2007 enacted level. The House Transportation-HUD bill restores this cut -- providing $237 million, the same as FY 2007.

The President's budget cuts housing assistance for seniors by $160 million or 22 percent below the FY 2007 enacted level. The House Transportation-HUD bill restores this cut -- providing $735 million, the same as FY 2007.

Low-Income Assistance

The President's budget cuts Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) by $379 million or 18 percent below the FY 2007 enacted level. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $2.7 billion, or $501 million above FY 2007.

The President's budget eliminates the $630 million Community Services Block Grant, which works to lessen poverty in communities. The House Labor-HHS-Education bill restores this cut -- providing $660 million, or $30 million above FY 2007.

Law Enforcement

The President's budget cuts the COPS program by $510 million or 94 percent below the FY 2007 enacted level. The House Commerce-Justice-Science bill restores this cut -- providing $725 million, or $183 million above FY 2007.