Alcee Hastings: “Mr. Speaker, the House engages in a very important debate today. It is a debate about priorities like the economy…”

“Mr. Speaker, the House engages in a very important debate today. It is a debate about priorities like the economy, Social Security, and education. More fundamentally, it is a debate about whether the American people will have a Congress that does the job it was elected to do. Nearly 2 years ago, Republicans took control of the Federal Government in Washington. They quickly forced through their own very partisan, very ideological economic plan, one centered around big budget-busting tax breaks for some of the wealthiest in our society. Mr. Speaker, what has happened since the Republican economic plan passed? Long-term unemployment is at an 8-year high, and nearly 2 million Americans have lost their jobs. Consumer confidence is at its lowest level since November of 2001, and prescription drug prices are still sky high, leaving senior citizens unable to afford vital prescription medicine. Corporate scandals, the massive criminality at Enron, WorldCom and the like, have rocked the economy and devastated the retirement plans of millions of Americans; but my colleagues, the House Republicans, overwhelmingly voted against real pension protection legislation a few months ago, blocking Democrats' efforts to protect Americans' retirement plans. The DOW has hit a 5-year low.”