SEN. TALENT STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT BUSH'S BUDGET
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.) today
said he was pleased the President's budget focuses on
making health care more affordable through small
business health plans and reducing wasteful spending by
supporting the line item veto. But he is concerned about
the proposed termination of the C-17 transport program,
the size of the defense budget and cuts to programs to
fight methamphetamine.
Sen. Talent issued the following statement on the
President's Budget:
"Missourians are concerned about health care costs and
I'm very pleased the President addresses this problem
with his support for legislation I'm sponsoring to allow
small business men and women to join together nationally
to sponsor quality, affordable health care for
themselves and their workers.
"We also need to eliminate wasteful spending in
Washington and the best way to do this is to pass the
line item veto. The President included the line item
veto in the budget because he understands it would give
him the discretion to remove items from appropriations
bills that may have been logrolled in by the Congress
but are considered wasteful on a national perspective.
Senator George Allen of Virginia and I introduced a
Constitutional amendment to empower Presidents with this
time-honored tool and I urge the Senate to pass it.
"I am very strongly opposed to the proposal to terminate
the C-17 transport program. If we do not purchase
additional transports, we will lack the capability
needed to deploy and adequately sustain forces overseas.
This is one of the reasons the Senate overwhelmingly
passed an amendment I sponsored with Sen. Leiberman last
year in support of the C-17. It will be an uphill
battle, but we are going to strongly support additional
C-17s.
"I also have serious concerns that we are not spending
enough on defense. We made clear to the Administration
last year that we were opposed to budget-driven defense
cuts and it appears they have restored some of the
money. I will continue to be vigilant to make certain
our men and women in uniform have the tools they need to
protect us, and that includes an adequate defense top
line.
"While I am pleased to see a proposed doubling of
funding for the clean-up of toxic meth labs, I am
seriously concerned that the Administration is not
adequately funding law enforcement grant programs such
as HIDTA, Byrne Local Law Enforcement grants and the
COPS grant program. As I have in years past, I will work
with senators in both parties to restore funding to
appropriate levels.'
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