George Miller: “it is very clear what is going on here this morning. The Republican budget process has failed. They cannot reach…”

“it is very clear what is going on here this morning. The Republican budget process has failed. They cannot reach agreement among themselves, and they have now been forced to cut tens of billions of dollars out of programs serving the most vulnerable people in the United States. They have chosen in their budget to protect every special interest in the country. They have chosen to protect the chemical companies, the drug companies, the western irrigator water users, the grazers, the oil companies, the timber companies, and the mining companies. The President thought it might be a better idea that the mining companies in this country pay the American people something, something for the use of their lands. They chose, rather, to cut nutrition programs. The President thought it made sense that the big timber companies that cost the taxpayers millions of dollars to take the timber off of the public lands pay a little something. They chose, rather, to cut Medicaid. The President thought it made sense that the oil companies that have been underpaying the taxpayers billions of dollars and admitting to it every day in court, he thought we ought to recover some of that money for the taxpayers. They chose instead to go after Medicaid. They chose instead to go after child nutrition. They chose instead to go after Title I. That is what is going on here, ladies and gentlemen. They have decided to protect the special interests.”