Res. No. 1034
Resolution condemning the federal budget resolution passed by Congress on April 28, 2005 for failing to protect essential interests of families and children and calling on Congress to take actions necessary to ensure the survival of critical programs that preserve the well-being of New York’s children and their families.
By Council Members Brewer, Fidler, Barron, Comrie, Gennaro, James, Liu, Nelson, Stewart, Gonzalez and Gerson
Whereas, The United States House of Representatives and Senate passed a budget resolution for federal fiscal year 2006 on April 28, 2005 (the “budget resolution”); and
Whereas, The budget resolution includes major reductions in critical domestic programs that will have a seriously negative impact on New York’s low-income children and working class families; and
Whereas, The budget resolution cuts a total of $212 billion from discretionary programs over the next five years, including funds for education, health care, housing, environmental protection and other domestic programs; and
Whereas, The budget resolution requires $35 billion in cuts to mandatory programs that provide crucial assistance to vulnerable members of our society; and
Whereas, This includes a $10 billion cut from the Medicaid program, which will cut funding to New York by an estimated $1.37 billion; and
Whereas, The budget resolution further calls for $3 billion in cuts to agricultural programs, which are likely to include major reductions in funding for the food stamp program that provides essential support to ensure adequate nutrition for low income families; and
Whereas, Congress now must engage in negotiations to decide which critical programs for children and families to cut and by how much; and
Whereas, The budget resolution also authorizes $106 billion in unrecoverable tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans; and
Whereas, The budget resolution undermines the common good and general welfare of New York’s children and families, in that it reduces resources and funding essential for our children’s health, education, safety and community stability, as well as the basic framework of longstanding policies that protect the most vulnerable members of our society, and at the same time provides additional tax cuts for high income individuals; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the New York City Council condemns the federal budget resolution passed by Congress on April 28, 2005 for failing to protect essential interests of families and children and calls on Congress to take actions necessary to ensure the survival of critical programs that preserve the well-being of New York’s children and their families.
J.D.S.
LS# 2945