Crapo: Tough Choices Ahead For FY 2007 Budget

Washington, DC â?? This morning on Capitol Hill, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, was on hand to receive delivery of the Administrations Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 budget proposal. The four volumes, totaling over 2300 pages, arrived early this morning at the Budget Committee hearing room to a barrage of cameras. Hearings on the budget will begin tomorrow with Office of Management and Budget Director Josh Bolten testifying.â??We are facing some tough choices regarding the 2007 budget,â?? Crapo said. â??In the State of the Union address last week, the President talked about reducing or eliminating dozens of ineffective and wasteful programs. In addition, entitlement spending is one of the most challenging issues that we will face as Baby Boomers turn 60. Spending for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs is only going to increase as more Americans reach retirement age. We need to meet the challenges of homeland security and national defense, and all of these priorities must be balanced with the many other obligations and expectations from the federal government. The Budget Committee got an overview of the Administrationâ??s proposal last week, and this week the Committee will get into the details of the budget. I look forward to working with the President and other Members of Congress to craft a fiscally sound budget that will reduce the deficit and maintain important priorities for our country.â??The President's budget request can be accessed online at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2007/