Barbara Boxer: “I strongly oppose the reconciliation bill before the Senate. The bill would cut vital programs for the middle class…”

“I strongly oppose the reconciliation bill before the Senate. The bill would cut vital programs for the middle class, elderly, and poor in order to pave the way for yet another tax cut for the richest individuals in the county. Hurricane Katrina focused the Nation's attention on America's poor and displaced. In the wake of the storm, the people demanded that Congress act to help Americans in need and were justifiably angry at the administration's slow and inadequate response. Americans recognize that their government should aid those in distress in order to make this a better country for everyone. That is why I cannot believe only 2 months after Katrina, we have a bill that would cut Medicare and Medicaid by $27 billion, increase Medicare premiums for seniors, cut the availability of affordable housing, and cut support for our farmers by $3 billion. Even worse, the House of Representatives is looking to make even deeper cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and to cut the food stamp program, child support enforcement, the foster care program, and student loan programs. These cuts will harm millions of Americans. And why are the Republicans doing this? Not to reduce the deficit, which is spinning out of control, but to provide tax cuts for millionaires that will at the end of the day actually increase the deficit. The tax portion of the reconciliation package will provide $70 billion in tax breaks--$30 billion more than the proposed spending cuts.…”