Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today voiced strong support for President Obama's health care and education priorities for next year.

The White House today unveiled its fiscal year 2011 budget proposal, which among other things highlights how completing work on health insurance reform can provide major savings.  The president's proposal includes the enactment of health insurance reform proposals being debated in Congress.  Savings would be achieved through reducing wasteful spending, improving quality and incentivizing more efficient care, among other initiatives.

To help states weather this difficult economic period, the president's proposal contains $25.5 billion for additional Medicaid assistance that will help defray health care costs for millions of Americans.  This support is a continuation of an initiative first funded in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act last year.  New Mexico would receive roughly an additional $100 million, which would provide an additional 6 months of Recovery funding.

"Health care reform continues to be a top priority for the Obama administration and for me.  Not only are there short-term health care benefits to be gained by passing health insurance reform, there are long-term fiscal benefits to be gained, as well," Bingaman said.  "I hope we soon get back to work on this very important issue."

"But in the meantime, I'm pleased with the emphasis the Obama administration has placed on our nation's – and New Mexico's – health care delivery system.  Overall, this budget makes some important health care investments in health care," he added.

The president's budget includes the following for national health care initiatives:

• $2.5 billion for health centers to provide affordable high quality primary and preventive care to underserved populations, including the uninsured.
• $169 million – a $27 million increase - in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) to place providers in medically underserved areas to improve access to needed health care services. Under the NHSC, primary health professionals such as physicians, nurse practitioners, and dentists agree to serve in a medically underserved community in exchange for having a portion of their student loans paid off.
• $4.4 billion for the Indian Health Service (IHS) to expand investments initiated in 2010.
• $1 billion per year as part of the reauthorization of the school meals program and other child nutrition programs to help improve children's access to healthy meals and help to reduce childhood obesity rates.

In the area of education, the president's budget would increase education by about 6 percent.  According to White House calculations, the proposal contains at least $437.6 million for New Mexico's elementary and secondary schools, students, and teachers.  It also proposes $245.8 million in Pell Grants to help more than 61,500 New Mexican students afford college.

"It has never been more important for America to maintain its competitive edge.  We must work to ensure that every student in New Mexico and nationwide is academically prepared to compete in the global economy and I am pleased the president's budget makes an investment in this key area," Bingaman said.

Bingaman said he is particularly pleased that the administration's budget would support initiatives on education issues he has prioritized as a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.  Bingaman has, for example, long supported improved Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, high school dropout prevention, and funding for Hispanic Serving Institutions – many of which are in New Mexico.  These issues receive significant proposed funding increases.

Among the education budget highlights:

• Improving STEM Education - $300 million to improve the teaching and learning of STEM subjects in elementary and secondary schools; $150 million in new competitive grants to support innovative STEM programs.
• Increasing College Affordability –$34.8 billion for Pell Grants to help nearly 9 million low-income students attend college; $7.5 billion over 10 years to expand income-based repayment options to help borrowers with large loan balances and low incomes.
• Preventing High School Dropouts - $1.2 billion in new competitive grants to strengthen high schools; $900 million to help school districts turn around their lowest-performing schools.
• Providing Integrated Student Services - $210 million for the Promise Neighborhood competitive grant program, which will support comprehensive neighborhood programs designed to combat the effects of poverty and improve educational and life outcomes for children and youth; $410 million to improve school climate, student health, and parent engagement.
• Meeting the Needs of Hispanic Students - $123.3 million, an increase of 5 percent, for Hispanic-serving colleges and universities; $800 million, an increase of 6.7 percent, for K-12 programs serving English Language Learners.