Dan Boren: “Thank you, Congressman Ross. Mr. Speaker, you know it is not very often that I come to this floor to speak on an issue.…”

“Thank you, Congressman Ross. Mr. Speaker, you know it is not very often that I come to this floor to speak on an issue. As a freshman Member, sometimes we don't come down and talk about issues on this floor. But I think it is very important tonight that we talk about this budget because budgets are a statement of our priorities. I am going to talk tonight a little bit about rural America. I also want to talk a little bit about our Nation's veterans. For those of you all who have never been to Oklahoma, I am going to tell you a little bit about my district. My district is in eastern Oklahoma. I represent 25 counties of a very rural part of the United States. The largest community in my district is Muskogee, Oklahoma, population 38,000 people, where my wife, Andrea, and I reside. There are towns like Broken Bow and Idabel and Miami and Sallisaw, Wapanucka, Bromide, Bluejacket, some of the best people in the world. And let me tell you, this budget does not help my folks back home. I think it is very important that we reduce the national debt and we balance our budget, but we can't do it on the backs of rural America. Once again, this year the President's budget slashes rural development programs. It freezes funding for rural education and phases out our rural health care grants. In my district, it abolishes the COPS grant program which is responsible for putting over 200 officers on the street in eastern Oklahoma. We have a real meth problem in eastern Oklahoma.…”