Nydia M. Velazquez: “Mr. Chairman, the poor across this country have already been asked to pay an extraordinarily high price. Essential…”

“Mr. Chairman, the poor across this country have already been asked to pay an extraordinarily high price. Essential programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Workforce have all been put on the chopping block. At a time when society's most vulnerable are seeing a reduction in their benefits, an increasing amount of rent to pay is cruel, heartless and shameful. If we do not adopt the Velazquez amendment, thousands of our Nation's poorest families will no longer be able to afford public housing. For the most part, they will be mothers and children, women and children, that will be thrown into the streets with no place to go. We here in Congress should not be creating this underclass. It is a shame that what we are doing here today is creating an underclass of poor people that cannot afford even to live in public housing. If we do not want the poorest of the poor to live in public housing, just say it. Stop playing games, and let us end this charade.”