Bush’s Priorities or America’s Priorities

November 13, 2007

Pres. Bush has just vetoed another bill that provides the vital services that strengthen America’s middle class. The 2008 Labor, Health and Education appropriations bill provides funding for education, health care, medical research and workers protections but apparently none of that is on Bush’s top list. As Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said: “The same president who is asking us to spend another $200 billion on the misguided war in Iraq and is insisting on providing $60 billion in tax cuts next year to folks who make over a million bucks a year, is now pretending to protect the deficit.” The bipartisan bill was supported by 50 Republicans and passed on a solid 274-141 vote last week. According to Robert Greenstein of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, in order to meet Bush’s funding cut demands, “Congress would have to cut from the vetoed bill $1.4 billion for medical research, $1.3 billion for K-12 education, and $254 million for Head Start, among other items.” “Tax cuts for the rich, health and education be damned” seems to be the motto guiding Bush’s scale of priorities. After all, this is the same guy who vetoed health care for kids and, more recently, a crucial water projects bill to help numerous localities across the country. The latter was overridden after Congress mustered enough votes to enact it. There will be a vote to override Bush’s latest veto. Congress can and must do so. As stated by AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee, “This bill is needed to get America back on the right track. Congress needs to say no to the President’s wrong priorities. It’s time to veto the veto.