Bill Pascrell: “If the Republican budget is a doubling down on the policies that brought us to the brink, which is contained in this…”

“If the Republican budget is a doubling down on the policies that brought us to the brink, which is contained in this budget, my brother from New Jersey presents a budget which I think quadruples down on the economic policies and lack of optimism in the American people. The budget believes we cannot, as President Kennedy said a little over 50 years ago, ``bear any burden and meet any hardship'' in order to better our Nation. That's what America is all about, regardless of your party persuasion. This budget gives trillions in income tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans, we both agree on that--you think it's a good policy, we think it's a horrible policy--and at the same time cuts $18 billion. Let me just take one example, the SCHIP program: $18 billion cut to our children--our own children, our grandchildren. You must be kidding me. This budget gives trillions in estate breaks to the wealthiest Americans. Many people having estates pay no taxes, yet this slashes funding for Pell Grants for our kids, our grandchildren to go to college. This budget gives trillions in tax breaks to corporations that have been shipping jobs overseas, but ask our constituents, in your district and my district and everybody's district, to take a 20 percent cut in the scheduled benefits to Social Security.…”