On the recordMay 10, 2012
The legislation we are considering today is quite possibly the moral low-point of this House Republican Majority. Not only does it negate a law that was agreed to just last year to cut the deficit, it makes unconscionable cuts to safety net programs that help to feed hungry children and seniors and to protect them from abuse. It could also cause 14 million children to lose health insurance due to massive cuts to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Republican leaders are claiming that this legislation is needed to reduce the deficit. That is false. The reality is that we are voting today to protect the bloated defense budget and tax breaks for millionaires. The choice before us could not be clearer: will you stand with families, children, and seniors? Or will you stand with special interests? Do you believe America should be a nation that cares if children have enough to eat and seniors can age with dignity? Or do believe our country should be run by and for the wealthiest among us? The Sequester Replacement and Reconciliation Act (H.R. 5652) is designed to prevent the pending automatic spending cuts, or ``sequester,'' that Congress passed last year in the Budget Control Act. Half of the $110 billion in cuts under the sequester would come from the defense budget. That makes sense, as roughly half of our discretionary budget is dedicated to defense. Medicare and other vital programs will also take a hit under the sequester.…
