Tester: ?Shortsighted Bush Budget Shortchanges Montana.?
Bush Cuts Target Education, Health Care, Rural Montana
U.S. Senate candidate Jon Tester condemned cuts to critical federal programs proposed by President Bush, including significant cuts that would hurt Montana families, seniors, and schoolchildren for years to come.
“This shortsighted federal budget shortchanges rural states like Montana,� Tester said. “President Bush’s budget would eliminate rural fire grants, eliminate conservation grants, and contains no funding for critical water projects across our state.�
“And the President has proposed cutting billions from Medicare, including home healthcare, hospice, nursing, and hospital programs,� Tester said. Over 150,000 Montana senior citizens depend on Medicare to meet their daily health care needs.
“The president proposes extending tax cuts for businesses and executives, but leaves family farmers and ranchers flat broke.�
“The President has proposed irresponsible cuts that will affect Montana’s most vulnerable,� Tester said. “Cuts like this hit close to home. A 5-percent across-the-board cut to crop subsidies, cuts to energy assistance programs, and elimination of education programs for our kids—these cuts will hurt Montanans from all walks of life.�
“From making health care and energy more affordable, to coming up with solutions to problems facing family farmers and ranchers, we’ve made tremendous progress on these issues in the Montana Senate,� Tester said. “In the U.S. Senate, I’ll always keep the needs of Montanans in mind. We can find smarter ways to cut spending and reduce the deficit without hurting working families across the country and in Montana.�
Posted on Wednesday, February 8th, 2006 at 12:00 pm.
