Major Owens: “I rise in support of the Congressional Black Caucus alternative budget. This is the most moderate budget we have ever…”

“I rise in support of the Congressional Black Caucus alternative budget. This is the most moderate budget we have ever submitted. However, we do take small steps in the right direction. We take steps in the direction of providing more funds for education and more funds for jobs, job training and retraining, and we also take steps to deal with the construction of schools and a few other badly needed facilities. It is important to note, Mr. Chairman, that people who talk about welfare reform should understand that the welfare reform problem is easily solved by providing for more education and more job opportunities. We cannot solve the problem of the subsidies, we cannot deal with the welfare kings, the people who were given $11.5 billion by the Department of Agriculture in the last 5 years. Yes, taxpayers, listen, $11.5 billion in loan forgiveness is forgiven to the millionaire farmers of the West and the Midwest over the last 5 years. That welfare reform we cannot deal with. We will have to deal with it some other way. But we can deal with the welfare reform of mothers with children who need help. If they are given jobs, job opportunities and job training opportunities, we can solve that problem. The Congressional Black Caucus budget is a budget which emphasizes more money for jobs, job training, and more money for education. This is an alternative which carries America in the right direction.”