mr. speaker , i would like to thank my good friend and colleague , the gentleman from florida , for yielding me time . 
mr. speaker , i rise in support of the rule and the budget resolution . 
the rule allows for debate , along with three substitutes , two of which were offered by the minority . 
i think it is a good rule . 
i commend the gentleman from iowa ( chairman nussle ) and members of the committee on the budget on a good product that addresses several of the concerns that i have had with president bush 's budget . 
i am pleased that the budget provides for extension of tax cuts that have brought 20 months of job growth to our nation 's economy . 
i also agree with the increases for our national defense and homeland security to provide for our troops fighting the war on terror and to keep our communities safe . 
one source of concern for me was the community development block grant program . 
it is crucial to city and rural areas across my district . 
the president 's budget proposed reducing funds to the cdbg and 17 other economic development programs from $ 5.31 billion to $ 3.71 billion . 
i am pleased that the committee on the budget added an additional $ 1.1 billion to the president 's request for the functional category encompassing these programs . 
this budget resolution makes no assumption on the president 's proposed communities initiative . 
our veterans deserve the very best health care and services our nation can offer them . 
funding for veterans have increased by 47 percent over the past 4 years , and i am pleased that the committee added $ 297 million this year to the president 's budget proposal for veterans , and i will continue to seek further and additional funding for our veterans and their health care . 
i continue to have some concerns with the budget . 
i am a strong supporter of vocational education and trio programs . 
the president 's budget proposal would combine these into a high school intervention initiative and reduce funding . 
trio programs are very successful . 
i actually worked in one in helping low income students with their transition to college . 
vocational ed programs offer many high school students the motivation to work hard in all of their classes and provide job skills who do not go on to college . 
i look forward to working with appropriators to ensure adequate funding levels for both trio and vocational ed . 
medicaid funds are very important also to all west virginians , particularly low income west virginians , and i urge my colleagues to avoid cuts to medicaid as the reconciliation instructions found in this resolution are implemented . 
i look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that these priorities like veterans education , economic development and medicaid are adequately funded as the process continues . 
i support the rule and the resolution . 
