Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Now, Madam Speaker, here ends the slow, sad, and silly fiscal year 2011 appropriations process. It ends on a day when unemployment claims are going up, not down, when gas prices are rising and when food prices are dramatically on the rise. I say to my colleagues that it is mathematically impossible to balance a $1.5 trillion deficit by only cutting from the 12 percent of total federal discretionary spending and with no tax-breaks' spending on the table. For the largest accounts, Defense and Homeland Security, they're not even included in the reductions. Yet job-creating accounts like Transportation and Housing are cut by 18 percent, one-fifth. How does this make sense when 40 percent of America's building trades' workers are out work, and when housing is in the doldrums? Agriculture's food programs for the unemployed, seniors, children, and the needy are cut by 13 percent when Wall Street is walking away with billions. If we are going to be serious in this Congress about balancing the Federal budget, then we need to put everything on the table, all programs, all revenue accounts, entitlement programs, mandatory programs, farm subsidies, and outdated direct federal subsidies to the West. {time} 1350 We must address tax expenditure spending and nonpayment of taxes by some of the most well-endowed corporations and individuals in our country. Corporate profits are at all-time highs; yet they're not hiring. Shareholders benefit but not workers.…”