John Spratt: “Mr. Chairman, the President's proposed budget can mean only one thing, the lights are on down at the White House but…”

“Mr. Chairman, the President's proposed budget can mean only one thing, the lights are on down at the White House but nobody's home. He has the House Republicans carrying the water, but their budget is his will, make no mistake about it. If the President gets his way, lights will go off across America and people will suffer because of the President's complete disregard of the state of the economy, the plight of the American middle class and the domestic casualty from his irresponsible war in Iraq, that is, meeting the critical, unmet social needs of this country. For instance, the President proposes slashing the Social Services Block Grant Program by $500 million this year and eliminating it altogether next year. In my home State of Washington, these funds are critical for providing child care for vulnerable families, Meals On Wheels and services to prevent child abuse. But the President is more interested in helping the rich get richer and leaving the rest of America down and out. The President is willing to feed their greed by starving the U.S. economy and hurting the American people. The American people deserve a budget that recognizes reality, and that's what the Democrats have offered. We provide tax relief to the middle class by demanding tax fairness for everyone.”