Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today about the recent sequestration cuts to important Federal programs, cuts that are harmful to our national security, education system, transportation and infrastructure, and economy. Congressional Democrats have worked for months in this very Chamber in order to avoid the harmful cuts, but the House majority has so politicized the budget process that it has prevented any resolution or compromise. The Republican majority has three times blocked the consideration of a Democratic bill to end sequestration, has refused to bring any bill of its own to the House floor to end the sequester and, instead, with partisan attacks, has tried to blame President Obama. The sequester has already taken effect with an immediate $85 billion across-the-board spending cut; and while the worst of these impacts is yet to come, Americans will see more teachers laid off, indiscriminate cuts to special education, a loss of 4 million meals for seniors, and debilitating health care cuts for our military families. In my home State of Texas, the sequester puts close to 1,000 teaching jobs at risk. Over 80,000 workers will lose access to job training, over 50,000 civilian defense employees will be furloughed, and 9,700 fewer children will get vaccines for diseases like measles and the whooping cough. ____________________”