Political Quotes

“Let me thank our ranking member for her unwavering leadership on our committee on so many issues. Thank you, Congresswoman Lowey. Let me thank also our chairman for continuing to try to help us work in a bipartisan way to bring a real Labor, HHS bill to the floor. This continuing resolution contains, yes, critical and much-needed funding to address the Ebola crisis in Africa. It also, though, includes across-the-board cuts which will negatively impact my congressional district, all of our congressional districts, and countless households across America. For example, this CR includes two different cuts to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. It includes a $14 million reduction in the TANF contingency fund and a $15 million reduction that will eliminate TANF research funds, funds that are used, mind you, by the Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate the effectiveness of TANF programs and to develop approaches for improving employment outcomes among TANF recipients. These cuts are unnecessary and come at a time when people are literally living on the edge. It is unacceptable that at a time when we are passing short-term funding bills that underfund public health and workforce training programs we are now providing over $80 billion in war funding. The American people expect Congress to create jobs, to strengthen our economy, and to ensure that our security funds are wisely spent.…”