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PHOTO: President Bush Speaks to Joint Session of CongressThe President's Budget & Florida

The President’s Budget funds America’s priorities, provides the largest debt reduction in history and provides fair and responsible tax relief. In Florida, the budget:

CheckBenefits more than one milllion Florida small businesses and entrepreneurs by reducing marginal tax rates and making the Research & Development tax credit permanent.

CheckProvides tax relief for roughly 5.4 million Florida citizens who pay taxes.

CheckProvides relief for an estimated 2.8 million Florida married couples by reducing the Marriage Penalty.

CheckProvides relief for an estimated 1.3 million Florida families by doubling the Child Tax Credit.

CheckIncreases Florida’s education funding over current levels to more than $1.9 billion to give local schools more tools to ensure that no child is left behind.

CheckIncreases Florida’s Head Start funding over current levels to more than $240 million to better prepare Florida’s children for success in school.

CheckIncreases funding to more than $ 1.1 billion in housing assistance and services for low-income Florida citizens.

CheckProvides more than $232 million in funding for water resource projects along Florida’s rivers and waterways.

CheckProvides more than $93 million to fund Florida’s environmental protection efforts.

CheckProvides nearly $15 million to help conserve Florida’s natural resources – a 291% increase over current levels just for Florida.

CheckProvides an estimated $1.3 billion in highway funding for Florida.

CheckProvides $391 million for programs and grants to help local fire departments and emergency services in Florida and all across America with training, equipment, and fire fighting and lifesaving efforts.

CheckProvides a $5.6 billion National Emergency Reserve to aid Florida and other states nationwide struck by disasters.

CheckIncreases Florida’s funding over current levels to more than $43.8 million to help more Florida children awaiting adoption find loving homes faster.

The President’s Budget Funds Important Priorities for Florida:

CheckImproving Education. Provides the Education Department with the largest percentage spending increase of any federal department (11.5% or $4.6 billion) and triples funding for children’s reading programs.

CheckProtecting Social Security. Locks away every penny of the $2.6 trillion Social Security surplus for Social Security.

CheckPreserving Medicare. Spends every dime of Medicare receipts over the next 10 years only for Medicare, increases funding over the next year by $21 billion, and modernizes Medicare with an integrated prescription drug benefit.

CheckStrengthening Defense. Improves quality of life of our troops and their families and begins the transition to a 21st century force.

CheckImproving Healthcare. Doubles funding for NIH medical research on important health issues like cancer, the largest funding increase in NIH history. Creates more than 1,200 new community health centers nationwide to make health care more accessible.

CheckProtecting the Environment. Fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund – a $900 million commitment, with nearly $15 million targeted for Florida’s conservation efforts; gives the EPA the second highest operating budget ever -- $3.7 billion, with more than $93 million targeted for Florida’s environmental efforts; and increases funding for the EPA $56 million above the amount requested by President Clinton.

Florida Will Benefit from the President’s Historic Debt Reduction:

CheckThe President’s Budget provides the fastest, largest debt reduction in history and reduces the debt to its lowest share of the economy since World War I, which will benefit Florida citizens in many important ways.

  • Lower government debt means lower interest rates on Florida citizens’ home mortgages, car loans, credit cards and other expenses.

  • Future generations of Florida citizens will not be burdened with repaying our debt obligations.

Fair and Responsible Tax Relief for all Florida Taxpayers:

CheckProvides the typical family of four in Florida paying income taxes $1,600 in tax relief.

CheckAn estimated 5.4 million Florida taxpayers stand to benefit by the new, lowered rate structure.

CheckAn estimated one million Florida small businesses and entrepreneurs stand to benefit from the tax cut.

Check1 in 5 taxpaying families with children will no longer pay any income tax at all – completely removing 6 million American families from the tax rolls.

CheckA family of four in Florida making $35,000 a year will receive a 100% federal income tax cut.

CheckA family of four in Florida making $50,000 a year will receive a 50% tax cut – receiving at least $1,600.

CheckA family of four in Florida making $75,000 a year will receive a 25% tax cut.

CheckThe marginal income tax rate on low-income families will fall by more than 40%.