WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Saturday, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), a senior member of the House Committee on Ways & Means, voted against House passage of H.R. 1, the continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through the end of fiscal year 2011.
While the continuing resolution does include some meaningful cuts to wasteful spending, it also includes irresponsible cuts that would hurt working families in Northern California and across our country.
Non-security discretionary cuts of the magnitude authorized in the bill would likely result in over 800,000 lost jobs in both the public and private sector.
“Like the American people, the federal government has a responsibility to operate within its means,” said Thompson. “That includes increasing saving and decreasing spending, particularly on programs that have proven to be inefficient or ineffective. This is the very definition of fiscal responsibility and the foundation of a strong economy.
“The continuing resolution may slash spending, but it’s not fiscally responsible,” Thompson continued. “I’m not afraid to cut spending where it’s deserved – in fact, I voted for tens of billions in cuts to wasteful programs over the course of this budget debate. However, this bill completely devastates funding for crucial health care programs, transportation and infrastructure projects, education, and other smart investments that the American people rely on. Cuts of this magnitude will undoubtedly harm our country’s fragile economic recovery and result in hundreds of thousands of lost jobs.”
There are several cuts that are particularly concerning to Rep. Thompson, given their impact on Northern California and the rest of our state. As written, the continuing resolution would:
Defund federal protections for salmon. The continuing resolution would strip funding for important state water initiatives, including the biological opinions protecting salmon. The economic impact in California’s 1st District would be catastrophic: thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity could potentially be lost.
Strip $1.7 billion from the Social Security Administration (SSA). H.R. 1 would cut over a billion dollars from SSA for the remainder of the year, a cut so drastic that SSA would need to impose significant furloughs. An agency shut down would force over half a million new retirees, disabled workers and survivors into a backlog before they could receive the benefits they earned.
Slash $1.3 billion in funding for Community Health Centers, including $32 million for clinics in California. The continuing resolution would cause nearly half a million patients to lose access to cost-effective care and over 750 health care workers to lose their jobs statewide. In Northern California, over 38,500 local patients would have reduced access to health care services and over 30 full-time staff could lose their jobs. Decreased access to community health centers would result in more Californians going to emergency rooms, driving up the cost of care. H.R. 1 would also reverse steps taken to properly fund physician reimbursement for primary care doctors and doctors in rural areas. Taken together, these provisions will increase the cost of health care all Americans.
Reduces the Pell Grant scholarship maximum award. H.R. 1 would reduce access to higher education for hundreds of California students. By decreasing the Pell Grant scholarship award, many grant recipients in our community would be forced to take out more loans to afford their college tuition and fees. Since higher education prepares our students to compete in a 21st century economy, the continuing resolution is a direct threat to America’s ongoing economic recovery and global competitiveness.
Eliminates Title X, the nation’s family planning program, and federal funding for Planned Parenthood. The continuing resolution eliminates the Title X program and prohibits all federal funding for Planned Parenthood, one of the largest women’s health providers. Millions of women in California and across our country will lose access to basic primary and preventive health care, including lifesaving cancer screenings, family planning, contraception, STI testing and treatment, and annual exams.
Both President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have stated they will not support the House bill as written, leaving the House and Senate very little time to come up with a compromise before the current continuing resolution expires and government is forced to shut down on March 4.
“Unreasonable efforts like this one just bring us closer to a government shutdown,” Thompson continued. “Closing our government would mean seniors wouldn’t receive their Social Security checks, airport security operations would come to a halt, and veterans’ benefits would be stopped. These are real consequences for real Americans, including families in our district.”
