Elijah Lewis: “I rise against the majority party's proposal. I read someplace, ``What does it profit a great Nation to gain a whole…”

“I rise against the majority party's proposal. I read someplace, ``What does it profit a great Nation to gain a whole world and lose her soul?'' This Republican proposal does not reflect the soul of America. It is out of step and it is out of tune. This proposal turns its back on the basic needs of our poor, our mothers, and our dependent children. No one, but no one, wants to be on welfare. People want to work. They want to pay their own way. They want training so they can secure a permanent living wage job. Yet this bill throws in the towel. It eliminates education and job training from the list of work opportunities. It does nothing to promote job stability or reduce poverty in our country. We can spend hundreds, thousands, billions of dollars on missiles, bombs, and even tax breaks for the wealthy individuals, but when it comes to providing a helping hand to our poor and our needy, Republicans want to pass the buck. When it comes to welfare of our citizens, we must cross every T and dot every I. Do we have the courage to put people who have been left out and left behind back on their feet? Do we have the courage to speak up and speak out for what is morally right? Where is our sense of what is fair? Where is our sense of what is right? My colleagues, please join me to vote against this reckless bill. We can do better. We must do better.”