Media

“The decision to have a fifth servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is critical to mankind’s efforts to understand the universe that we inhabit. Hubble has provided our scientists with invaluable information and I believe it has much more to give us in the coming months and years.”

Congressman Hoyer represents NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and has a long record of supporting the Hubble Telescope and Goddard.

“I have fought to maintain this important program through funding and further study of its positive impact on our nation's space exploration. When the Bush Administration announced that it was no longer planning the service mission I joined with the other members of the Maryland Congressional delegation to secure $350 million in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006 for a servicing mission.”

“I would like to congratulate all of the hard working men and women at Goddard who have made and will continue to make Hubble such a successful program.”

“The Veterans Medical Care System is facing ever-increasing demand leaving the VA struggling to provide the care that Veterans have earned and deserve. The VA has seen a 134 percent increase in the number of enrolled veterans from 1996 to 2004. Unfortunately, VA health-care funding has increased only 60 percent over the same period.

“As troops return home from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, the VA will eventually become responsible for many of their health care needs, particularly for those with injuries that may last a lifetime. As of December 2004, VA had treated roughly 32,700 of the 210,000 veterans from these deployments.

“Further, by law, VA is required to provide ‘hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for any illness’ determined to be service connected for these returning service members for a period of two years.

“Despite this obvious need, the GOP budget fails to adequately fund Veterans priorities in the budget and instead proposes increasing enrollment fees and prescription drug co-pays for some veterans - a Health Care Tax - and cutting funds for important programs.

“Furthermore, the Republican budget resolutions do absolutely nothing to rein in the exploding deficits and spiraling debt that have been provoked by the Republican Party’s failed economic policies. In fact, Republican budget proposals will immorally force future generations to pay our bills.

“The budget essentially cuts funds to the VA to pay for trillions in tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Americans and which will burden future generations - without requiring that these tax cuts be paid for so they don’t contribute to the ballooning deficit.

“The budget raises health care costs for 2.2 million veterans by imposing increased co-payments on prescription drugs and new enrollment fees. According to the Administration’s own figures, this will result in driving 213,000 veterans out of the system.

“And, the President’s budget provides $3.5 billion less than veterans service organizations believe is needed. Without the new fees proposed by the President, the President’s budget provides $762 million less than the Congressional Budget Office says is needed to maintain current services for veterans’ health care and other discretionary programs.

“The budget proposal slashes funds from veterans’ nursing homes and virtually eliminates state grants. This will leave older and disabled veterans with no place to go.

“Finally, the budget fails to expedite disability claims. There is a backlog of almost 500,000 compensation and pension claims and since 2001, the number of pending appeals has nearly doubled. Regrettably, the President’s budget reduces the staff for the Board of Veterans Appeals, even though these pending appeals take years to resolve.

“In contrast, the Democratic Alternative budget that was rejected by Republicans in the House of Representatives would have provided $1.6 billion more than the Republican budget for veterans programs for 2006 and $17 billion more over five years. This funding would have improved access and reduced waiting time for all veterans; accommodated new health care demands, particularly those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan; met statutory requirements for long-term care by increasing the current number of nursing home beds to 1998 levels; increased funds for medical facility construction and renovation; and provided the resources necessary for more responsive reviews of claims and appeals.

“Democrats are sending a powerful message that America will always care for those who serve. I believe we ought to meet our obligations to our veterans and I will continue to support increases in funding for veterans programs.”

# # #

“This Republican Administration, and the Congressional Republican leadership have proven that their policies cannot be trusted when it comes to managing our nation’s fiscal house. Their actions have undermined the strength or our economy and will heavily burden future generations of Marylanders and citizens across the country.

“In just four short years, the Republican Party has turned a projected ten-year budget surplus of $5.6 trillion into a projected deficit of nearly $4 trillion. This year, the Office of Management and Budget projects a record budget deficit of $427 billion – the third record deficit in a row. Since 2001, this Republican Party has added more than $2.2 trillion to the national debt – now $8.2 trillion – and that Republicans will increase the debt ceiling by another $780 billion this year.

“At a time of exploding deficits and debt, this conference report calls for another $70 billion in tax cuts, with nearly 75 percent of those breaks going to the wealthiest three percent of Americans. At the very same time, it calls for $10 billion in cuts to Medicaid – which finances health care for more than 58 million low-income or disabled Americans and more than 600,000 people in Maryland. It also calls for cuts to student loans, food stamps, pension benefits, and other national priorities.

“Furthermore, this conference report not only fails to arrest our exploding deficit, it makes it worse – increasing the deficit by some $168 billion over the next five years.

“And, while the Republican Party tries to convince the American people that Social Security faces an imminent crisis, this Republican conference report would spend every last nickel in the Social Security trust fund.

“Seven different times between 1999 and 2001, House Republicans voted to protect our Social Security surplus. But over the last four years, they have shattered the so-called Social Security ‘lockbox.’

“The Chairman of the Budget Committee (Mr. Nussle) boldly proclaimed in 2001: ‘This Congress will protect 100 percent of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. Period. No speculation. No supposition. No projections.’

“But what this nation has seen over the last four years is nothing short of a full-scale retreat from fiscal responsibility, and the imposition of Republican policies that will immorally force our children to pay our bills. This conference report is the latest example of that and it represents the wrong choices and wrong priorities for the people of Maryland.”

###

“This website improves my ability to provide information to Marylanders about particular legislative priorities, ways to help them access federal services, and the latest news affecting Maryland,” said Congressman Hoyer.

“In redesigning my web page, I set out to accomplish several goals,” he added. “I wanted to give the people that I represent the information they most often request in an easy to follow format. I wanted to give our on-line visitors the ability to communicate with me and my staff, and I wanted to help constituents link up to helpful websites. I believe constituents will find this new website easy to use and full of helpful information.”

Among the unique features available on Congressman Hoyer’s new website are video clips from speeches Congressman Hoyer gives on the floor of the House of Representatives, an in depth Grants Assistance page to help constituents navigate the federal government for grant funding, and an e-mail form for constituents to voice their opinions directly to the Congressman. From the website, users can also find comprehensive information on the Fifth Congressional District and all of the County Governments.

“I encourage visitors to my new website to send in their e-mail addresses to receive congressional updates on legislation moving through Congress and the latest news on my work to enact policies that reflect the values and interests that make Maryland a better place to live,” Hoyer added.

# # #

“This critical project has been the result of a collaborative effort between local, state and federal partners,” Hoyer said. “Not only does this upgrade ensure a safe and environmentally sound disposal system, it also is consistent with our overall efforts to reduce nutrient runoff in the Chesapeake Bay.”

Until now, the camp utilized a septic field and tank system donated by the National Geographic Society over 30 years ago, which began to malfunction in 2002.

Hoyer helped secure $600,000 in federal funds for the new sewage system in the FY 2004 and 2005 Transportation-Treasury Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bills.

“This dedication is a fitting way to celebrate YMCA Camp Letts 100th anniversary,” Hoyer said. “Thousands of children from throughout the state have benefited from the Y’s programs since its inception in 1906. A stable infrastructure will help continue that impressive run.”

Other speakers at the groundbreaking included Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens, Stephen Pattison, Governor Robert Ehrlich’s Assistant Secretary for Policy and Community Outreach, and Maryland Delegate Virginia Clagett (Dist. 30).

###