Bernard Sanders: “I rise in strong support of the alternative budget developed by the congressional Black Caucus in coalition with the…”

“I rise in strong support of the alternative budget developed by the congressional Black Caucus in coalition with the House Progressive Caucus offered today as the Mfume substitute. Frankly, Mr. Chairman, I do not support every single line of this budget. I would have gone further in the direction of shifting some of the tax burden which for a dozen years was transferred to working people and the middle class back to the upper class and to the wealthy so that they can finally begin to pay their fair share of taxes. But there is no question but that this budget is far preferable to the administration's budget and far, far preferable to the Republican budget, and once again, as it has been the case in many years in the past, this budget becomes the conscience of the U.S. Congress. Mr. Speaker, I think there is no doubt, there should be no doubt, as to what has happened to America in the last dozen years. I heard reference a moment ago to the issue of class warfare, and it is true, in fact, that that is precisely what has been going on in this country over the last dozen years, and the headlines of today's newspapers reflect that reality.”