REPUBLICAN FORUM
An Information Network
Talking Points
April, 2001
A Responsible Budget for America’s Priorities
First, the budget will fund America’s priorities
Second, the budget will provide the largest debt reduction in history
Third, it provides fair and responsible tax relief
Funding Key Priorities:
Improves Education. Strengthens and reforms education -- provides the Education Department the largest percentage spending increase of any federal department (11.5% or $4.6 billion) and triples funding for children’s reading programs.
Protects Social Security. Preserves and protects Social Security by locking away every penny of the $2.6 trillion Social Security surplus for Social Security.
Preserves Medicare. Spends every dime of Medicare receipts over the next 10 years for Medicare, and Medicare only. The President’s budget provides a $21 billion increase in Medicare spending over the next year. The budget also provides $153 billion over 10 years in new spending to modernize Medicare with an integrated prescription drug benefit.
Strengthens Defense. Strengthens our military by improving their quality of life of our troops and their families and beginning the transition to a 21st century force.
Improves Healthcare. Doubles funding by 2003 for NIH medical research on important health issues like cancer – the largest funding increase in NIH’s history. Creates more than 1,200 new community health centers to make health care more accessible.
Protects the Environment. Protects our environment by providing the largest increase for conservation funds in history and fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund – a $900 million commitment. The President gives EPA the second highest operating budget ever -- $3.7 billion – and his overall request for EPA is $56 million higher than the FY 2001 request by President Clinton.
Paying Off Our Nation’s Debt:
Pays off the maximum amount of debt possible by providing the fastest, largest debt reduction in history.
Reduces the government debt to its lowest share of the economy since World War I.
Reasonable and Fair Tax Relief:
Uses roughly one-fourth of the budget surplus to provide the typical family of four paying income taxes $1,600 in tax relief.