Paul Tonko: “Thank you, Representative Edwards. I would have to say that I truly believe that, if Dr. King were in our presence…”

“Thank you, Representative Edwards. I would have to say that I truly believe that, if Dr. King were in our presence today, he would remind us that a budget is a series of priorities. What we place high, what we place most precious in that budget, we would see as a document that speaks to a family. Just like a household will balance its needs, its concerns with its ability to pay and put together the balancing, so too does the family of America require that sort of tender balancing. He would remind us, whether they are employed, critically unemployed or marginally underemployed, whatever the situation might be, that today America's middle class families are living paycheck to paycheck. That's becoming more and more the scenario. He would have suggested, look, we need to take that concern for mortgages, that concern for college tuition, that concern for just pay, that concern for utility bills, that concern for food costs and energy costs, and we need to invest in the American working families. Contrast that with what the other scenario might look like: handouts to oil companies, corporate loopholes that are not shut, tax breaks for the most comfortable in society. That is the contrast he would challenge us to face head on and to understand it's about social and economic justice. It's about bringing more balance, more fairness into the equation.…”