Capps Lauds New Direction Budget

The Democrats’ “New Direction” budget for the 2009 fiscal year, which was approved by the House on Thursday, June 5 and by the Senate a day earlier, purports to bandage all of the gaping financial wounds left in our country from the past decade. The Democrats propose to rebuild the nation’s surplus all the way up to $22 billion by 2012, setting up what appear to be countless reserve funds for everything from education to infrastructure to immigration reform and enforcement, while cutting middle-class taxes. Santa Barbara Congresswoman Lois Capps was full of praise for the budget resolution. “I have always said that the budget is more that just a bunch of random numbers,” said Capps. “It is truly a moral document and a powerful statement about our country’s values and priorities.” One of the country’s primary concerns these days is reflected in the strong focus on energy issues, and incentives to encourage renewable energy sources, clean fuel technology, and energy efficiency. Another major reform involves the long-neglected Department of Education, said Capps, with a major benefit being that higher education will be more affordable for future students.