Political Quotes

“I rise today amazed by how far the Republican majority will go to keep hard-working Americans down. Instead of being the first rung on the ladder out of poverty, this housing bill kicks the ladder away. By repealing the Brooke amendment, the already difficult lives of the extremely poor will become a nightmare. Adequate housing must remain affordable for everyone. In New York City alone, 560,000 housing authority tenants will face higher rents or eviction if Brooke is eliminated. There is not going to be mixed income people living in public housing. There will be families making $40,000 living in public housing and poor people will be thrown into the streets. This is a price they simply cannot afford to pay. Faced with higher rents, families will have to scrimp for even their most basic necessities. How much more are we going to bleed out of our poor? The United States already has the impressive distinction of having the highest poverty rate of the industrialized world. Elimination of rent caps coupled with funding cuts to housing and a 25-percent cut to homeless shelters will force waiting lists for park benches to skyrocket. Mr. Chairman, I say to my Republican colleagues, you should be ashamed of yourself. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of the Americans least able to shoulder that burden. Think of the message you are sending. Mr. Chairman, clearly, the majority cares more about the haves than the have-nots.”