Statement by Edward J. McElroy
President, American Federation of Teachers
on President Bush's Budget Proposal

Washington, D.C. — Each year since taking office, the president has proposed a budget that ignores the needs of the vast majority of Americans and instead lines the pockets of the ultra-rich.  This year's budget is no exception.

While we are more than prepared for a serious discussion with the Bush administration on how best to educate America's children, this proposed budget is a nonstarter. Improving the No Child Left Behind Act will require more than just money; it will require substantive structural changes to truly meet its goals. Allocating scarce resources to dead-end programs like school vouchers is a waste of time.  Touting increases in Pell Grants sounds promising, but this is a pledge the president has broken in the past.

Rather than ease the healthcare burden, the president would cut $100 billion from Medicare and Medicaid, weaken the State Children's Health Insurance Program and undermine employer-provided health insurance.  The budget is an equal-opportunity offender, slashing healthcare opportunities for retirees, working men and women, and children.
 
The new majority in Congress recently increased funding for important education programs such as Title I and Pell Grants.  We look forward to working with the new Congress to craft a realistic budget that lives up to the government's responsibilities and helps those who need it most.

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