Bingaman Votes Against Budget Plan that Hurts New Mexico

Bingaman said the budget proposal will hurt New Mexicos working families.

"This proposal makes it harder for low-income and elderly New Mexicans to access health care and it makes deep cuts in education loans that will make college more expensive. This is a terrible budget for the people of our state", Bingaman said.

Bingaman said the bill also imposes strict new work requirements for families needing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and will cost states $8.4 billion over the course of the next five years. It also short-changes child care by $11.5 billion, making it increasingly difficult for working families to access child care. Further, the agreement includes drastic cuts in child support programs, which would result in $8.4 billion less in child support collection over the next 10 years. It also cuts assistance to relatives caring for abused or neglected children, and would cut spending for assistance to impoverished elderly and disabled citizens by $700 million.

On health care, Bingaman said the measure permits states to cut back on benefits for nearly all of the 27 million low-income children enrolled in Medicaid, including allowing states to restrict and limit benefits even for those with little or no income. It also permits recipients of Medicaid, the health care program for low-income families, to be charged copayments for health care services, and allows health care providers to deny care to those who cant afford the copayment. The measure also increases premiums for Medicare beneficiaries despite the fact Medicare premiums imposed on senior citizens and people with disabilities have already increased sharply in recent years.

Even while making cuts in health care and education, the budget extends an expensive milk subsidy.

"If we cant afford to adequately fund health care and make college affordable for Americans, I dont know how we can find $1 billion to support this expensive and unnecessary initiative. Our country is in deep financial trouble which requires us to make difficult choices and set priorities. In my view, we have laid out the wrong priorities in this measure."