Senator Maria Cantwell’s Weekly Update for Washington State

[fighttotheend]

Monday, May 2, 2005
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State’s military bases vital to national security

Last week, I was proud to join the Governor and every member of the Washington Congressional Delegation in sending a letter and special report to the Pentagon’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission, detailing how valuable our 10 Washington state military installations are to national security. As the Pentagon prepares to publish a preliminary “base closure” list for consideration, we want to make sure the commission has all the facts.


While I continue to believe that our outstanding servicemen, servicewomen, and bases will remain important assets for the national defense, this effort was another opportunity to remind those involved in the base closure process of Washington state’s strong defense capabilities. We believe that Washington military bases are prepared to meet future threats and are well positioned to expand their missions as required by emerging security challenges.


As the base closure process moves forward, I will work hard with local communities and the rest of the delegation to make it clear how vital our state’s military installations are to America’s security.


Budget wrong on healthcare, education, & energy

Late Thursday night I voted against a fiscally irresponsible, 5-year, $14 trillion federal budget that seriously undermines the federal government’s commitments to Washington state families. In addition to producing a deficit in 2006 of more than $380 billion, the budget is wrong on healthcare, wrong on education, and wrong on energy.


The final budget slashes $10 billion in funds from the Medicaid program, which provides healthcare to our most vulnerable citizens. Over the next five years, Washington state stands to lose $167 million in federal Medicaid funds – including about $33.4 million in 2006 alone. This money would have provided healthcare to 21,100 Washington children or 3,300 of the state’s seniors. Today, about 35 percent of all of Washington state children get healthcare services through Medicaid.

The federal budget also shortchanges key education programs. While the Senate’s original budget plan included a measure I supported to boost funds for math and science education, student loans, vocational education, and student-support programs, those funds were stripped in the final budget crafted by House and Senate negotiators. Not only that, the final budget plan actually directs about $7.1 billion in funding cuts, likely to come from federal student loan programs. I was the first member of my family to graduate from college – and couldn’t have done it without the help of federal student aid – so I understand first-hand how much these cuts hurt.


The budget also contains a provision that paves the way to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The simple fact is, drilling in a national wildlife refuge won’t do a single thing to lower gas prices today, tomorrow or even in the next few years – and it certainly won’t make a dent in our nation’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil. I will use my seat on the Senate Energy Committee to continue to fight this provision, and remind other senators that we must invent and invest – not drill – our way to energy independence. We need to get serious about an energy strategy that moves this country forward by relying on American ingenuity, rather than selling off our nation’s natural heritage to the highest bidder.


This budget accomplishes a truly unfortunate feat of Enron-style accounting. It cuts vital healthcare and education programs for Washington state families, at the same time it manages to saddle future generations with a soaring national debt. It sets the wrong priorities for America’s future.


Visiting Washington, D.C.?

Are you planning to visit Washington, D.C.? If so, I would welcome the opportunity to meet you. Next week, on Thursday, May 12, at 8:30 a.m., I will host one of my regular coffees for constituents in my Washington, D.C., office. If you will be in the nation’s capital and would like to attend, please call my office at [phone], or fill out a reservation form online by visiting my web site at http://cantwell.senate.gov/services/coffee.html.