North Carolina's Democratic congressmen said Thursday a budget passed by the House will hurt education and efforts to turn around the state's struggling economy.

Republicans pushed through the bill 215-212 on a mostly party-line vote.

Reps. Bob Etheridge of Lillington and Brad Miller of Raleigh said the GOP spending plan provides no money to retrain laid-off workers, particularly at community colleges.

"Community colleges are where our workers are going to get the skills to find new jobs," Miller said.

Rep. Frank Ballance of Warrenton said that a proposed cut from the Small Business Administration also would hurt efforts to help unemployed workers.

North Carolina's $12 billion tourism industry also would take a hit under the Republican plan because it cuts money for coastal improvements, said Rep. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton.

Rep. David Price of Chapel Hill said local law enforcement and fire departments in the state would lose $22.7 million from a state Homeland Security Grant program, a 60 percent drop.

"The rural areas are really taking a huge hit," he said.

In an unusual telephone conference call with reporters, the six Democrats also criticized the continuation of tax cuts by President Bush that they say should not include wealthy Americans.

Republicans defended the plan, arguing that raising taxes would slow economic growth.