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Citing the need for Americans to be involved in the management of their tax dollars, Congresswoman Granger urged the residents of the Fort Worth area to monitor the fiscal year 2003 budget markup hearings.

The House Budget Committee will begin the full markup of the Annual Budget Resolution on Wednesday, March 13th at 10 a.m. To allow taxpayers to monitor the process, the Budget Committee will provide a live webcast of the proceedings on their website at www.house.gov/budget.

"The Budget Committee, as well as the entire Congress, has been entrusted by voters to create a sensible and responsible budget for the citizens of this nation. This is your money, and you should be involved with how we manage it," Granger said. "It is up to each taxpayer to see that we use your tax dollars wisely. The best way to do that is to watch these proceedings and hold your lawmakers accountable."

Homeland security, national security, and economic security are the top priorities of the Fiscal Year 2003 budget.

"We need to have a budget that supports the President’s efforts to win the war against terror and to keep Americans safe from the threat of future attacks," Granger said. "We must also honor our commitment to our men and women in the armed forces to provide them the tools to win this war, boost military salaries to reflect the professionalism they provide, upgrade military housing, and properly care for our veterans. In addition, we need to continue to fund programs that strengthen jobs and build consumer confidence in our economy."

The budget request submitted to Congress by the President asks for $2.128 trillion dollars in fiscal year 2003 and projects a return to positive cash flow in 2005.