Robin Carnahan: “I am glad to be here in the House tonight and be joined by some of our colleagues in the freshman Democratic class that…”

“I am glad to be here in the House tonight and be joined by some of our colleagues in the freshman Democratic class that was elected in 2004. I believe my colleague, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz from Florida, is going to stay on and talk with us a little bit tonight, and we expect to be joined by some other of our colleagues to talk about the continued direction of our country and, in particular, this budget and tax plan that has been put before this Congress by President Bush and congressional Republicans. I really want to rise and express my deep, deep concern about this budget. The cuts in programs across the board, no other word can be given, but they are staggering. This budget does not provide for the average American. It continues to line the pockets of the wealthiest Americans. Like so many of the President's priorities, this budget is a misplaced opportunity to actually effect positive change for our citizens. I would like to draw particular attention to the energy provisions in this budget. Last week, the AP reported that the average cost of a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline was $2.92, up 35 cents from just a month ago. Moreover, U.S. drivers are now paying about 14 percent more to fill their tanks than just 1 year ago. Recent polls show that over 65 percent of Americans are suffering from financial hardship due to rising gas prices. But we don't need a poll to tell us that when we fill our tanks.…”