February 7, 2005
Press Release

Senator Reed’s Statement on the President’s Budget Cuts

WASHINGTON - Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) stated, “It is tremendously disappointing that President Bush has cut funding in his fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget for important programs that are vital to the well being, education, economic success and safety of Rhode Islanders.

The President has abandoned students working to achieve a quality education as well as teachers and school systems trying to provide a solid education. The FY 06 budget eliminates almost $4.3 billion in 48 federally funded education programs, including GEAR UP, Teacher Quality Enhancement, Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP), Even Start, TRIO Upward Bound/Talent Search, and the Regional Education Labs. Additionally, the budget cuts funding for No Child Left Behind.

In Rhode Island, over 10,000 students received LEAP funding last year and 6,500 students received support from the GEAR UP program which helps prepare low-income and at risk children for college.

The President is attempting to make it more difficult to train health professionals and make health care less obtainable for Rhode Islanders and Americans by eliminating the Health Professions Program. Last year, Rhode Island received more than $2 million from the Health Professions Program, which is the only federal program designed to train primary care providers to meet the needs of special and underserved populations, as well as increase minority representation in the health care workforce. Also, the level funding for NIH will directly impact research grants in Rhode Island and threaten federal funds such as the $131,000,000 the state received in 2003.

Like the rest of the country, Rhode Island has greatly benefited from the COPS program and it is unfortunate it will be another casualty of the President’s budget. Just three years ago the COPS hiring program received $395 million. In the FY 06 budget there is only $7 million to help put additional police officers on the street. Rhode Island has added 395 officers through the COPS program since 1994.

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