A response from Congresswoman Nancy Johnson

Remember this shrink ray post from January? Yeah, me neither. Well I just checked my standard fake email address and saw that Rep. Johnson responded to my concerns about shrink ray technology as outlined in an email I sent to her as part of the post. Here's her response in full:

From: nancy.johnson@housemail.house.gov

Mailed-By: housemail.house.gov

To: boxleyfryer@gmail.com

Date: Feb 13, 2006 3:55 PM

Subject: A Message from Congresswoman Nancy Johnson

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February 13, 2006

Mr. Boxley Fryer
14 Sawmill Rd
Burlington, CT 06013-1600


Dear Mr. Fryer:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Deficit Reduction Act. I appreciate hearing your concerns about the budget package and welcome the opportunity to respond.

Connecticut families are expected to live within their means, and so must the federal government. Yet in the last four years, our federal budget has grown by 33 percent, representing the largest spending increase since the Cold War ended. The result is a federal deficit that topped $318 billion in 2005.

The terrorist attacks of 2001, increased border security, Hurricane Katrina, and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan all have contributed to this spending increase. Judicious tax cuts to spur investment and allow families to keep more of what they earn have strengthened the economy and returned revenues to their pre-9/11 level.

But our ballooning federal deficit threatens not only our financial health but our quality of life. Growth in spending must be slowed if we are to fulfill our obligations today and not pass on crushing, debilitating debt to our children and grandchildren. Taxpayers are asking if Congress has the resolve to make responsible choices with their tax dollars.

On Dec. 19, 2005, Congress passed, with my support, a responsible deficit reduction bill. It curbs spending by one-tenth of 1 percent of the entire federal budget over the next five years. It accomplishes this goal by ensuring Medicare and Medicaid provide the health care people need while eliminating overpayment and more effectively preventing fraud. The bill saves money for taxpayers by auctioning antiquated airwave frequencies, reducing farm subsidies and curbing the profits of financial institutions that provide government-guaranteed student loans.

Yet even these responsible measures are being vigorously opposed by special interests who consistently push for higher spending, regardless of its negative effects on the deficit, and wrongly claim needy Americans will be denied health care and higher education. I have listened carefully to many of these groups who have brought their concerns to me. I have deep respect for their concerns. I share their conviction that protecting our public safety-net programs to assure support for those in need is our responsibility. I simply disagree with their conclusions that the modest, responsible steps taken in December will harm ordinary Americans.

In fact, just the opposite is true. It makes key investments in Connecticut's priorities, including:
$3.7 billion in new college grant programs for low-income students, especially those studying math, science and engineering.

• $1 billion in new child-care funding to help working mothers regain their independence as part of a five-year reauthorization of the federal welfare program.
• $1 billion in new grants to improve emergency communications for first responders.
• $5.9 billion worth of college loan funds will go to help students, not boost lender profits, through lower student fees and higher borrowing limits.
• $1 billion in assistance to help low-income families pay winter heating bills.


The bill will also strengthen the state-federal Medicaid program, a critical health safety net for low-income families. The rising costs and inefficiency of the Medicaid program threatens to swamp state budgets and leave uninsured families without health care. The Medicaid reforms in the Deficit Reduction Act were proposed and unanimously endorsed by all 50 Democratic and Republican governors, as well as The Courant and The New York Times, because without them needy families and children will truly face a health care crisis.

An earlier version of the Deficit Reduction Act would have cut food stamps by $800 million and curtailed student loan programs. Additionally, it would have also opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration, threatening this pristine wilderness while doing nothing to bring down the cost of gasoline. I worked hard to rid the legislation of these onerous proposals.

The need to rein in spending and reduce the deficit is clear. Now, with the economy stable, new costs more predictable and the burden of entitlement growth clear, we must adopt reforms to help us back to a balanced budget both for our well-being and for our children's sake. The Deficit Reduction Act takes important yet modest steps to demonstrate our resolve to make responsible choices with taxpayers' hard-earned money. Thank you again for contacting me.


Very truly yours,



Nancy L. Johnson
Member of Congress