Raphael Warnock: “I rise tonight in strong opposition to this awful, and, frankly, immoral budget. Recently, I was appointed to the…”

“I rise tonight in strong opposition to this awful, and, frankly, immoral budget. Recently, I was appointed to the Finance Committee of the U.S. Senate, and the reason why I wanted to serve on that committee is because I wanted to get a chance to shape the Nation's budget. As I thought about all of the things that I have fought for long before I came to the Senate, access to healthcare, access to learning and early education for all of our children, ensuring that people could retire with dignity--as I thought about the things that I cared about, I wanted to serve in a place where I might have an impact on our Nation's budget. And that is because, for me, a budget is not just a fiscal document, it is a moral document. It is not just numbers and figures. It is not just dollars and cents. Show me your budget, and I will show you who you think counts and who doesn't. Show me your budget, and I will show you what you think matters and what doesn't. Show me your budget, and I will show you your priorities. Jesus said: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. And I have to say that if this budget that is being proposed were an EKG, it would suggest that the U.S. Congress has a heart problem and is in need of moral surgery. Why else would you propose, among other things, to cut up to $880 billion from Medicaid?…”