Mark Takano: “I'd like to thank my friend, the gentleman from Wisconsin, for yielding the time this evening. Earlier today, I was…”

“I'd like to thank my friend, the gentleman from Wisconsin, for yielding the time this evening. Earlier today, I was joined by 22 of my fellow freshman Democrats in sending a letter to the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan) requesting specifics for his 2014 budget. {time} 1750 As freshman Members, we had hoped Mr. Ryan's budget provided areas where both parties, Democrats and Republicans, could find common ground. Instead, what was presented was a document that was vague. How can we begin to negotiate when we don't even know what we're negotiating? And where Mr. Ryan is specific, it's in areas that he knows that Democrats won't agree. Ezra Klein of The Washington Post described Mr. Ryan's so-called ``Path to Prosperity'' in the following ways: He cuts deep into spending on health care for the poor and some combination of education, infrastructure, research, public safety and low-income families. The Affordable Care Act's Medicare cuts remain, but the military is spared, as is Social Security. There's a vague individual tax reform plan that leaves only two brackets--10 percent and 25 percent--and will require either huge, deficit busting tax cuts or increasing taxes on poor and middle class households, as well as a vague corporate tax reform plan that lowers the rate from 35 to 25 percent. After reading Mr.…”