At least that is my interpreteation of Chucky-boy's comments and voting record on anti-terrorism funding.

Sen. Charles Schumer, who has likened $7 million in federal cuts to New York's bioterrorism programs to "rubbing salt in an open wound," voted to cut those programs by 10.4 percent last year, according to Senate records.

Schumer (D-N.Y.) is pressuring Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Julie Gerberding to recalculate a new funding formula that disproportionately reduces aid to the state. Schumer, who red-flagged the issue during a news conference Sunday, will take his case directly to Gerberding today.

The proposed cuts could effect operations at city health department labs and environmental-testing programs, although it's possible some or all of the money might be made up through other federal funding, a city official told Newsday.

In December, Schumer didn't object to a unanimous voice vote approving a huge bipartisan spending bill that included $95 million in CDC bioterrorism cuts, largely because the measure also included restorations to student loan cuts and other domestic programs.

"There was 7 billion dollars in that bill, restoring student loans, health care, necessary things - every Democrat voted for it," Schumer said yesterday.

Schumer also voted for a $123 million bioterrorism cut during a preliminary vote on the package that passed 94-3 in October. He was joined by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton both times.

Since Schumer believes that New York City is the center of the universe, he apprently didn't intend for those cuts to come out of NYC's money -- or even from New York state's funding. It was the rest of the country that was supposed to eat the entire financial hit. That does not sound reasonable to me. Of course some of the cuts would have to come from the largest recipients.

Get over it, Senator. The world does not revolve around New York -- or Uranus.

Posted by: Greg at 11:28 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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