Paul Tonko: “We borrowed, as was indicated by the gentlewoman from New Hampshire, in the decade that preceded this administration…”

“We borrowed, as was indicated by the gentlewoman from New Hampshire, in the decade that preceded this administration from China to pay not only for tax cuts but for two wars and for Medicare part D, for a doughnut hole that now is driving seniors to the brink of poverty. Where was the fairness in all of that? Because their bearing of the burden is far greater as a percentage of their income household-wise than the upper income strata. So the consequences here are borne unfairly. And so I think that what you've described here in the contrast is an opportunity to start anew, with a new focus, where children and students, married couples, seniors, working families, all are given highest priority, where they can dream the American Dream, where they're empowered. And when we empower our middle income community, we're empowering all of us. Someone needs to build the product. Someone needs to buy the product. And if you deny the purchasing power of our middle income families, we have destroyed the economy of this Nation.”