Louise Slaughter: “I am disappointed and sad to say that the content of the budget, and the way we are approaching it, confirms the fears…”

“I am disappointed and sad to say that the content of the budget, and the way we are approaching it, confirms the fears of the American people instead of their hopes. The bill the Republicans reported less than an hour ago is a bill that no one has seen, but one that will have far-reaching impact on the future of our country. We do not know everything it does, and yet we are being asked to vote on it before the ink is even dry. Our form of government requires the trust of the people, a trust that this leadership has not earned. Being asked to take the Federal budget on faith, in a year when the majority has itself lost faith in the values that matter most to our democracy, integrity, honesty and openness, is simply asking too much. One thing we do know about this budget is that its very foundation is fundamentally dishonest. The majority has titled it the Deficit Reduction Act when the facts clearly show that the bill, when combined with the Republican tax giveaway to the rich, will actually increase the deficit by billions of dollars. Supporters will also claim that they have addressed criticisms of the legislation, but they are not being honest either. It is true that the leadership was shamed by the public, the Democrats, and even by Members of their own party into abandoning some of the most egregious attacks on the less fortunate. But the fact remains that the bill still takes over $1 billion from child support services.…”