Eva M. Clayton: “I really wanted to vote for this bill. In fact, I voted for the balanced budget agreement in the Committee on the Budget…”

“I really wanted to vote for this bill. In fact, I voted for the balanced budget agreement in the Committee on the Budget and voted for it on the floor with reservations. I knew there were things in there I had problems with. One of the things I had problems with, there was not enough food and nutrition. There are great needs in terms of hunger. It was not there. But in spite of that, it did have some good things in it. Some of those good things were around children's health, around educational opportunities and tax provisions that are in there. On balance it was good to move for a balanced budget. But now we have an agreement that does not conform to all of those agreements. Although I knew I had some reservation, I do not ever expect that everything I want will be in the bill. I can tell my colleagues, I am still looking forward to voting for a balanced budget, but I am unable to do that now. I hope indeed my colleagues find the compassion, or the reasonableness of at least giving people the work opportunity so they can have food stamps, so they are not thrown off the food stamp rolls.”