Political Quotes

“Today the President put forth his budget proposal. The budget includes roughly $2.5 trillion in cuts to programs that help struggling families and elderly and disabled people afford the basics, like putting food on the table, keeping a roof over their heads, and affording healthcare. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, would be cut by $192 billion over the next decade. Medicaid, the health program for the poor, would be cut by $800 billion. TANF, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, would be cut by $21 billion. In 2014, 20 percent of the population of my district, the Virgin Islands, received SNAP. SNAP feeds primarily poor children. In 2013, 19 percent of Virgin Islands' children were covered under Medicaid. Another 27 percent went without any health coverage at all. Mr. Speaker, budgets are about priorities. Unfortunately, our President's priorities are clear: more tax cuts for the wealthy taking precedence over ensuring that poor children have enough to eat, that people with physical and mental disabilities can make ends meet, and that low- and moderate-income Americans have access to healthcare. The budget would make inequality and poverty significantly worse, while allowing deficits, when honestly measured, to soar. Mr. Speaker, we must reject this budget. ____________________”