Danny Davis: “last night, the President charged us to encourage economic progress, fight disease, and spread hope in hopeless lands.…”

“last night, the President charged us to encourage economic progress, fight disease, and spread hope in hopeless lands. Unfortunately, this budget bill ignores the economic wellbeing, health, and hopes of the poor within our own nation. Just the idea of some of these draconian measures is enough to send chills up and down one's spine because we are talking about programs that provide basic assistance to vulnerable, low-income families and individuals. The proposed cuts come almost entirely from healthcare and education. We are talking about cutting programs that provide help to people with disabilities, to people who make use of the earned income tax credit, to people who use Supplemental Security Income programs, to people relying on the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and to the elderly. Although I do not think it is the majority's intention, these cuts effectively target low-income and minority Americans. I am disappointed and discouraged that education bears one-third--31 percent--of the budget cuts. Education is central to developing economic progress and a successful citizenry. These education cuts impede access to education for hundreds of thousands of low-income and middle-income students. Financial barriers are the key to determining whether most low income, first generation, and minority students will successfully complete college. Indeed, only 54 percent of lowincome students obtain degrees, compared to 77 percent of high-income students.…”