Patricia Schroeder: “I rally thank the wonderful citizens around America who came this weekend to stand for children. We have heard some…”

“I rally thank the wonderful citizens around America who came this weekend to stand for children. We have heard some speeches this morning about how the best thing we can do for children is not run up a debt. That is absolutely right. We should not run up a debt. But let us also remind people that children did not run up the debt that is already there. Mr. Speaker, we should not try to balance the debt on the backs of children, because children are going to be the ones that inherit this debt and are going to have to pay it off. The things that we desperately need for children are to make sure that they have the educational skills that they can get out and compete globally in the 21st century and make enough money so they can pay this off and get this country going the right way. So to cut student loans, to cut aid to education, to cut after-school programs and summer programs, to cut math and science programs are all terribly shortsighted. Those who cause the debt should pay for the debt, not the children.”