Political Quotes

“Today, I rise in strong opposition to the House Resolution 22, which would cut Congress's budget by five percent in 2011 and 2012. The proposed cut undermines Members of Congress's ability to serve their constituents and perform official duties. Today, many communities around the Nation are recovering from the Great Recession. Members' offices are flooded with phone calls from constituents who are facing foreclosure and having problems with their Social Security and Medicare. Furthermore, millions are looking toward Members of Congress for information on government programs, help on constituent casework, finding contracting opportunities with the federal government, and how to apply for federal grants. Lastly, it is imperative constituents can voice their opinion on proposed legislation to our staff. Today's draconian attempt to reduce Members of Congress's budget would hamper their ability to fulfill these essential tasks for our fellow Americans. At a time of economic crisis, a well functioning democracy cannot survive the ``starve the beast'' syndrome. Specifically, Congress needs talented staff to properly and judiciously advise Members on proposed legislation and help communicate our work to our constituents. A recent article in Politico found that the majority of congressional staff has not had an effective pay increase in many years. If we go down this road, eventually we will not be adequately staffed to fulfill the critical needs for Members.…”