Pallone Statement on President's 2010 Budget Plan

Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, issued the following statement today on President Obama's Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Budget.

"Today, President Obama unveiled a budget that makes a significant commitment to reforming our nation's health care system. The $634 billion reserve fund puts real money on the table towards achieving our goal of universal health care coverage.

"This budget is a positive step, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Next week, the president will hold a summit to further advance our national discussion on health reform. I'm looking forward to working with President Obama to finally reform our broken health care system. Our success is critical to making our nation and American families economically secure.

"I also praise the president for proposing to reestablish the polluter pays policy for the Superfund program. Superfund sites throughout New Jersey have the potential to create environmental and health problems for nearby residents. The president's budget ensures that polluters, not taxpayers, are paying to clean up our nation's worst toxic waste sites. I have fought for over a decade to reinstate a steady source of funding to the Superfund program so that sites around New Jersey and the nation no longer have to wait years to be cleaned up.

"The president also took a bold step to stop the devastating effects of global warming by calling for an 83-percent reduction in green house gas emissions by 2050. We will achieve these goals by installing an aggressive carbon cap and trade system that is outlined in the president's budget plan. I am committed to working with my colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to deliver comprehensive global warming legislation to President Obama's desk this year that includes a strong cap and trade system and a renewable electricity standard.

"This budget is an honest approach to the economic challenges we face as a country. For years, President Bush failed to address the tough choices by hiding behind accounting tricks, leaving behind record deficits and a dire fiscal situation. Today, President Obama proposed a budget that will bring our deficit down, invest in programs that work and make necessary reforms to get our economy back on track. We need to restore a sense of balance to the state of our economy and this budget lays the groundwork for long-term fiscal sustainability."