the Republican budget resolution—which mirrored Bush’s proposal—inflated the record-high $477 billion U.S. deficit and by $113 billion shortchanged or cut funds for the domestic programs working families need most—from job creation to health care, transportation and education.” [www.afl-cio.org]  League of Conservation Voters: Budget Resolution Would Have Required $2.8 Billion in Cuts to Environmental and Natural Resource Programs. The budget resolution reported by the Senate Budget Committee not only made deep and disproportionate cuts to environmental programs, but would have locked them in through binding two-year spending caps. The budget resolution would have required $2.8 billion in cuts to environmental and natural resource programs over two years and, over a five-year period, would have slashed environmental programs by 14 percent below the level needed to maintain current activities. These proposed cuts--exceeding those proposed for most other domestic programs-- would have forced crippling reductions in programs that reduce air and water pollution, promote sound science and safeguard our natural resources. [S Con Res 95, 3/12/04, Vote 58; www.LCV.org] FY 2004 BUDGETS FY 2004 BUDGETS XXXX Cast Deciding Vote For Final FY04 Budget Resolution With $550 Billion In Tax Cuts. In April 2003, XXXX cast a crucial vote for the final version of the Fiscal Year 2004 budget resolution, which allowed for new tax cuts of up to $550 billion, although the Republican Senate leadership promised moderates in their caucus that tax cuts in the final budget would not exceed $350 billion. Critics argued that the final budget resolution would increase the federal deficit to record levels of $347 billion in 2003 and $385 billion in 2004 and would result in a $1.7 trillion deficit in 2013. The resolution also called for funding cuts for education and local law enforcement programs. It narrowly passed, with Vice President Cheney breaking a 50-50 tie. [Vote 134, 4/11/03; AP, 4/11/03; Senate Budget Committee Democratic Caucus, 4/11/03]  GOP Budget Would Significantly Increase Deficit. According to Democratic Policy Committee analysis of Congressional Budget Office projections, this budget resolution would increase the federal deficit to record levels of $347 billion in 2003 and $385 billion in 2004 and would result in a $1.7 trillion deficit in 2013. [Democratic Policy Committee, Summary of the FY2004 Republican Budget Conference Report, 4/11/03]  GOP Budget Reduced Funding for Many Vital Programs. According to Democratic Policy Committee, the budget that came out of the GOP conference committee removed or eliminated vital funding for a variety of vital programs. This includes: o Elimination of “additional funding for port security that was added during Senate consideration.” o Cuts to local law enforcement programs including the “COPS program, the Byrne Grant program, and the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant Program in order to fund first responders.” o Cuts No Child Left Behind by $4 billion from the agreed upon figure in the Senate for 2004 and $20 billion over ten years. o Removal of a “special education provision…that created a mechanism to…accommodate additional IDEA spending of $205 million in 2004 and $209 million in 2005.” o Removal of a concurrent receipt amendment offered by Sen. Reid which would have provided “$12.8 billion in National Defense mandatory funding over ten years for concurrent receipt for military retirees with service-connected disabilities.” o Removal of a provision to create a $396 billion reserve fund to “strengthen Social Security and extend the solvency of the Social Security trust funds.” [Democratic Policy Committee, Summary of the FY2004 Republican Budget Conference Report, 4/11/03] XXXX Voted for Initial FY04 Budget Resolution With $350 Billion in Tax Cuts. In March 2003, XXXX voted for the initial Senate version of the $2.2 trillion budget for fiscal year 2004, which included $350 billion in tax cuts – half the size of the tax cut originally proposed by Bush. Critics argued that, even with the smaller tax cut package, 28