Celia Israel: “I thank my friend from Maryland. Well, they're right about something. This is cut, cap, and balance. Except that it cuts…”

“I thank my friend from Maryland. Well, they're right about something. This is cut, cap, and balance. Except that it cuts at the middle class, it caps Medicare, and it balances budgets on the backs of seniors. That is the fundamental difference between them and us, Mr. Speaker. Look. We agree that our debt is unsustainable, and that we've got to tighten our belts. We've got to reduce spending. We believe that we need to balance our budget through a balanced combination of spending cuts and revenue increases, and we've got to grow our economy. But here's what this budget says. It says to a constituent of mine living in Deer Park, New York, that if you're a middle class family and you want to send your child to college, to Suffolk Community College, you pay more for your Pell Grant. You pay more for tuition. If you are a worker in Huntington who just lost a job because the corporation that you are working for outsourced your job to China, you watch your unemployment insurance be capped or cut. But if you're a millionaire making over $1 million a year, you get a $100,000 tax cut. That's not cut, cap, and balance. It is an assault on the middle class, and it is an assault on fairness. Mr. Speaker, the middle class has always been the backbone of our economy, and this legislation is a kick in the stomach to the middle class. They tell us that they want to cut spending. They will not cut spending when it comes to tax loopholes. They will increase it.…”