Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from Oregon, and I thank all of the Members for a thoughtful and important debate. Mr. Chairman, that is what this is all about. It is about gripping-- taking hold--of the heart and soul of America. As I said in the Rules Committee, the budget is actually a moral document, a moral compass, of where we want to take this country. I think what needs to be explained to the American public is that, in actuality, we have been making progress. The deficit has gone down from $1 trillion from the past administration, from the Bush administration, to now $680 billion. We are making progress, from losing 800,000 jobs a month to gaining close to 200,000; yet the document that is on the floor today, the Ryan budget--the Republican budget--chooses not to have the morality and the affection for the American people that is desired. When you look at their budget, you will see that $3.3 trillion of their budget--69 percent--is cut from programs for people with low or moderate incomes, from the very people who need a stairstep of opportunity, and they give $200,000 in tax cuts to the top 1 percent. None of us have any challenge to prosperity and opportunity, but how can you have a budget that hits low-income programs or programs that give opportunity? How many have gone to school because of Pell grants? $175 million in cuts. How many people have gotten their health care from Medicaid and still do, like children? How many people have needed to have the SNAP program?…”