Bill Lee

Our nation's founding ideals, liberty and justice for all, can only be fulfilled if we have economic justice led by a government that is in the public interest, not the special interest.

I would also like to thank Congressman Barbara Lee-- Congresswoman Barbara Lee for her leadership on this issue.

We started with the framework of the RESPECT Resolution introduced by Representative Barbara Lee last year.

We have a moral crisis in this country.

We introduced an amendment in this Committee to freeze the defense spending, not to cut it.

It was very close, very close. It is very difficult coming toward this Mother's Day, but we have to thank them and honor them for giving us life.

I say to Congresswoman Adams, race is a factor in everything in this country, and especially in terms of maternal deaths and infant mortality rates with Black women.

We don't know where they are going.

The Pentagon budget request of about--$750 billion? It is totally--it is bloated.

We need to be honest with the taxpayer, and we need to let them know what we have committed to paying.

Let me be clear about a couple of things, Mr. Secretary. First of all, there have been revelations of massive waste, fraud, and abuse at the Pentagon.

We need to put some checks on this bloated increase and go back to the drawing board.

I think it is not keeping with what the three pillars of our national security strategy should be, in terms of defense, diplomacy, and development.

The continued existence of OCO has resulted in less oversight, less certainty, and higher levels of waste.

More money to the Pentagon doesn't buy more security.

I believe that the Pentagon budget request of about--$750 billion? It is totally--it is bloated.

I want to be very clear about a couple of things. No. 1, the fact that the word ``hostilities''--

If this is important, why are you cutting it?

That kind of shows me where you are going with this, and that is not right, and you know that.

If we are not a priority, we are just not a priority.

Can you commit to increasing the minimum wage? I mean, this would help tremendously.

I want to ask you, with the cuts that you are presenting, how are we going to ever achieve parity and how are we ever going to reduce the unemployment and the wage gap in communities of color?

We have a long way to go to catch up with closing health disparities, based on race and ethnic backgrounds.

I certainly am one who believes that your budget needs to be increased.

Risk-sharing can incentivize institutions to only enroll those students of a certain means