Benefits an estimated 488,000 North Carolina small businesses and entrepreneurs by reducing marginal tax rates and making the Research & Development tax credit permanent.

Provides tax relief for more than 2.7 million citizens of North Carolina who pay taxes.

Increases North Carolina’s education funding over current levels to more than $946 million to give local schools more tools to ensure that no child is left behind.

Increases North Carolina’s Head Start funding to more than $127 million to better prepare children for success in school.

Increases funding to more than $ 679 million for housing assistance and services for low-income North Carolina citizens.

Provides more than $78 million in funding for water resource projects along North Carolina’s rivers and waterways.

Provides more than $57 million to fund North Carolina’s environmental protection efforts.

Provides more than $9.5 million to help conserve North Carolina’s natural resources – a 366% increase over current levels just for North Carolina.

Increases highway funding above current levels to an estimated $805 million for North Carolina.

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

Provides a $5.6 billion National Emergency Reserve to aid North Carolina and other states struck by disasters.

Increases North Carolina’s funding over current levels to more than $18.6 million to help more North Carolina children awaiting adoption find loving homes faster.

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

Preserving 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.

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

Improving 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.

Protecting the Environment. Fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund – a $900 million commitment, with more than $9.5 million targeted for North Carolina’s conservation efforts; gives the EPA the second highest operating budget ever -- $3.7 billion, with more than $57 million targeted for North Carolina’s environmental efforts; and increases funding for the EPA $56 million above the amount requested by President Clinton.

The 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 North Carolina citizens in many important ways.

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

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

Provides the typical family of four in North Carolina paying income taxes $1,600 in tax relief.

More than 2.7 million North Carolina taxpayers stand to benefit by the new, lowered rate structure.

An estimated 488,000 North Carolina small businesses and entrepreneurs stand to benefit from the tax cut.

1 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.

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

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

A family of four in North Carolina making $75,000 a year will receive a 25% tax cut.

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