Political Quotes

On the recordMarch 28, 2012
The budget challenge we face requires two things: first, it requires the confidence to invest in the future and rebuild the middle class; second, it requires the discipline to bring down our debt with a plan that recognizes what is obvious to all Americans, that any plan with any prospect of success must include spending cuts and revenues. This budget, instead, makes things worse and delivers a body blow to the middle class. It doubles down on tax cuts, adding $150,000 in cuts to the wealthiest Americans. It increases Pentagon spending, fencing it off from it being required to make any contribution to reducing our debt. And that body blow to the middle class, it's delivered by cutting Pell Grants, kicking kids off of work study, by taking away things that the middle class needs, a functional Food and Drug Administration, FAA, cuts in national science. It is really bad for the middle class. Americans know that a budget is much more than line items on a spreadsheet. It's about who we are and what we aspire to be. And the question is this: This budget believes in austerity. It leads to prosperity; no evidence for that. This budget believes that tax cuts for the wealthy will create jobs; no evidence for that. In our budget, we believe something very simple: We're all better off when we're all better off, and that requires a budget that reflects what has always made America great: investment in a middle class that's strong and that's enduring.…
Said by
Peter Welch
Democratic · Vermont
Source
govinfo.gov
Mar 28, 2012

Share

More from Peter Welch

Sep 3, 2025

That was done deliberately, not just to cut spending, but to signal that Trump wants a shutdown.

nbcnews.com
Jan 2, 2026

There's a number of Republican and Democratic senators who are seeing what a disaster this will be for families that they represent.

npr.org
Jul 28, 2026

Those are natural-caused fires, you know, we're getting wildfires all over the world.

foxnews.com
Jun 24, 2026

I’m proud to work across the aisle on this legislation to support investments into developing new, PFAS-free turnout gear that protects firefighters across the country.

heinrich.senate.gov

Other voices in this conversation