February 26, 2009
Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter praised President Obama’s 2010 budget blueprint for promoting critical investments in our country’s future. Below are the Congressman’s comments about some of his priorities included within the President’s budget blueprint:
“This budget is an investment in the American people, but also a belt-tightening of the federal purse moving forward. This budget will help turn our economy around and help us gain energy independence, help people stay in their homes, afford to pay for college and retire when they want. Today’s budget blueprint provides an honest accounting of our nation’s economy and will allow us to make responsible investments and reduce our deficit over the next four years.”
Energy: “The President’s budget includes unprecedented investments in science, energy infrastructure, clean energy technology, and climate change research. With the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) located in the 7th Congressional District, the potential benefits for Colorado and our growing new energy industries are enormous."
Transportation and Infrastructure: "Further, the President’s strategy toward surface transportation funding, high speed rail networks, aviation technology improvements, and commitment to budget transparency will help usher in a new era of modernization for our nation’s infrastructure.”
Veterans: “I am supportive of President Obama’s initiative to increase funding for the De partment of Veterans Affairs by $25 billion over the next five years. This marks an 11 percent increase in resources to achieve a discretionary funding level of $55.9 billion. This will help facilitate the implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the creation of Centers of Excellence for vet eran-oriented specialty care in areas including prosthetics, vision and spinal cord injury, aging, and women’s health. Additionally, I am hopeful this funding increase will enable the VA to continue moving forward on one of my top priorities, the planned Medical Center on the former Fitzsimons Army base in Aurora Colorado.”
Defense: “Finally, we have a budget that puts our financial commitments in and on our balance sheets rather than hiding it from the American people. This budget holds defense contractors accountable, requiring them to provide the systems they promised on-budget. The funding honors our commitment to our brave service men and women in uniform by providing them with a 2.9 percent pay raise.”
Homeland Security: “I support the $355 million for cyber-security initiatives to protect our vulnerable cyber infrastructure from terrorism. The funding for 55 new Bomb Appraisal Officers under TSA is important so we have explosives specialists at airports to identify the latest trends in explosive devices.”
Education: “The President’s budget blueprint makes key investments in the future of our nation – our children. His proposal doubles Head Start funding, increasing maximum Pell Grant Awards and makes permanent the new $2,500 American Opportunity Tax Credit provided in the Recovery Act.”
Small Business Administration: “To help ease the credit crunch many Americans are experiencing, I commend the President for providing the Small Business Administration with $17.5 billion for the Guaranteed Loan Program, which is an important source of credit for small businesses. Furthermore, the Small Business and Community Bank Lending Initiative will expand small business credit availability and affordability by unfreezing the secondary markets for small business loans.”
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