Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick: “do the math. This Congress says we will have a surplus of nearly $5 trillion over the next 10 years. But we have a…”

“do the math. This Congress says we will have a surplus of nearly $5 trillion over the next 10 years. But we have a budget that is before us, and I am opposed to the flawed rule, as well as the flawed conference report that has been brought to us. It does not even allow us the customary 3 days to look over the numbers. It is a nearly $2 trillion budget. We have heard about the surpluses. This budget has nothing in it for school safety; no more dollars in it to reduce class size; no dollars for special education; no new dollars. If there is a surplus, why not? No new dollars for school construction. Why not? This budget cuts community development block grants that would help communities all over America. Why? This budget cuts funding for public housing and drug programs for public housing. There is a surplus; why no money? This budget cuts nearly a million dollars, excuse me, that is a billion dollars, to our veterans who have served this country. There is a surplus. Why no money in these programs? This budget is nearly $2 trillion. Our country is enjoying the surplus that we built over the last 8 years. Do we not want some of our dollars into education and those categories I mentioned? Do we not want some of those dollars back into our communities to help our community development? This budget is a charade. The process was a charade. With the popular vote in America, Democrats got more than the other side.”