According to a new analysis by the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress, President Bush's 2008 budget will cut millions of dollars from critical education, health care, homeland security, and law enforcement programs in North Carolina. While the President's $2.9 trillion budget does little to address the rising economic insecurities that middle class Americans are facing, it slashes millions from programs that are essential to thousands of North Carolinians. President Bush's new budget shows that he continues to ignore the will of the American people. After all, a Newsweek poll last week found that 58 percent of Americans simply want the Bush Presidency to end.

While cutting essential programs, the Bush budget makes his tax cuts for the few permanent. It also doesn't project war costs beyond 2009 and underestimates future domestic spending.
As in previous years, President Bush has tried to sneak his Social Security privatization plan into the budget, which would undermine the retirement security of one million North Carolinians. The President's budget request seeks to eliminate the Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS) program and the Justice Assistance Grants program, which together provided more than $2.8 million in funding to help keep North Carolina communities safe. While the Democrats in Congress have saved the Community Development Block Grant Program from elimination in each of the last two years, President Bush has it on the chopping block again, risking $21.1 million in community development funds for North Carolina.

"President Bush's budget shows that he still has no interest in listening to the will of the American people," said North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek. "Last November, the voters demanded real change and real leaders who put hard-working people first. Yet, just like all his previous budgets, President Bush's budget this year offers more of the same cuts to programs that are critical to North Carolinians while trying to give tax breaks for the few. Remember, Bush inherited surpluses that he turned into deficits. If North Carolina Republicans are serious about doing the work that voters sent them to Washington to do, they should join our North Carolina Democrats in fighting President Bush's reckless and irresponsible budget."

Read the full report here.