Carolyn Maloney: “Instead of being called the ``Road to Prosperity,'' the Ryan Republican budget should have been named the ``Road to…”

“Instead of being called the ``Road to Prosperity,'' the Ryan Republican budget should have been named the ``Road to Austerity,'' because it is a plan that is most noteworthy for the harsh austerity it demands of the many and the lavish benefits it extends to the few. Nobel Laureate in Economics Paul Krugman has called this budget proposal the most fraudulent budget in U.S. history, calling its priorities inconceivably cruel. Our recent economic history has shown that while Republican budgets might poll well, they do not perform well. The Bush budgets produced stagnant income growth for the middle class, a jobless recovery, and a huge deficit. The Ryan Republican plan is the Bush budget plan on steroids. If we look at what actually worked in the past, the single best model for growing jobs, sustaining economic growth, and reducing the deficit can be found in the 8 years of the Clinton administration, which created 22 million jobs, erased the deficit, and left this country with a huge surplus. A more balanced approach to deficit reduction will work for everyone. Let's pass a budget based on facts, not on fictions. Pass the Democratic budget. ____________________”