Daniel Akaka: “I want to voice my strong opposition to efforts by Members in the other body to use $6 billion in unspent welfare and…”

“I want to voice my strong opposition to efforts by Members in the other body to use $6 billion in unspent welfare and health care funds, intended for low-income children and their families, as a gimmick to overcome their problem with this year's low budget caps. Mr. President, I am referring to attempts to rescind $6 billion in unobligated Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF money, and unobligated Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Plan funds. Why do they want to do this? To help fund the $792 billion tax cut proposal that the other body passed last week--a proposal that would mostly help the wealthy in our nation. Any such action would be a repudiation of our promise to help families living in poverty. It is a classic situation of reverse Robin Hood: robbing the poor to give more to the rich.”