[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 25, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1938-H1941] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-25
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. JACKSON : I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) for her keen words and precise insight. Mr. Speaker, fellow Americans, I come before you today with a heavy heart and a deep sense of concern for the future of our beloved Nation. It appears we have reached a crucial juncture where our democracy's very essence is being challenged. The Republican proposed budget, also known as the default on America act, seeks to slash a minimum of 22 percent from nondefense discretionary programs as a condition for raising the debt ceiling. Mr. Speaker, this money has already been spent. It has benefited the American public. This is a game of brinksmanship, but it has dire consequences even for us having the conversation. The plan contains severe cuts to essential programs like SNAP. SNAP, the acronym meaning Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. I shall repeat: Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. This is for people that simply do not have enough to eat in our great country. This plan also contains severe cuts for Social Security and housing assistance, which act as crucial lifelines for all of our communities. This minority group within the Republican Party is callously using these indispensable programs as bargaining chips, bargaining on the backs of the most vulnerable. This strategy not only endangers our economy but undermines the foundation of our society. For residents of my district in Illinois, the First Congressional District, the consequences of not raising the debt ceiling and defaulting on the debt would be dire. I am compelled to share some startling statistics with you today. Mr. Speaker, 7,000 jobs would be lost alone in the First Congressional District in Illinois. Over 103,000 people in the First District nearing retirement would lose on average $20,000 out of their 401K. Mr. Speaker, 95,300 households in the First District would have their Social Security checks at risk. These devastating impacts not only affect the families who are directly involved but would also disrupt the local economy. In the First District alone, $151 million a month would be removed from Social Security income from families. Moreover, the health benefits of over 305,000 residents in the First District on Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans coverage would be jeopardized. It is clear that we must demand a clean debt limit that addresses the needs of our communities without threatening the livelihoods of the most vulnerable. As a member of the Agriculture Committee, I am particularly upset and appalled about the suggested cuts to our food and nutrition assistance programs. We have been in committee for over 100 days now and have not had a single meeting on the largest portion of the ag bill, the SNAP food portion, which comprises 75 percent of our funding. The bill, proposed by the House Agriculture Committee with over 20 Republicans, would dramatically expand the population of people subject to policies that take SNAP away from those not meeting onerous work and work reporting requirements. I want some of my fellow colleagues to understand. Some people are in transit deserts where they do not have easy access to mass transit or private transportation. Many people that are on the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program are women and children. Eighty percent. Some people have to care for aging parents and have to care for disabled children. I think it is more complicated than what is being shared. This punitive and ineffective work will put SNAP's grocery benefits at risk for adults up to age 65 and many families with school-age children, in which parents or other adults are unable to work or cannot find jobs or cannot find enough hours. In the last 2 weeks, in my district again, Mr. Speaker, Walmart, the Nation's largest employer, has pulled out of two stores directly in the district. We are now having a work crisis where we don't have enough employment, and new employment has to be created. In Illinois' First Congressional District, over 54,000 households, about 20 percent of all of our residents, receive SNAP benefits. Of these recipients, a staggering 85 percent are African American. The median income of households on SNAP is a mere $20,289. Mr. Speaker, that is $390 a week where people are having to pay their rent, their transportation, and trying to get food. Not only is it $20,289 annually, $390 a week, which comes out to simply $55 of income a day. These statistics paint a clear picture of the most vulnerable populations in our society; those who are struggling to make ends meet, those who are disproportionately affected by systemic inequalities, and those who desperately need our support to ensure their basic human rights to healthy supplemental food. Our people need shelter and dignity, and they should not be used as bargaining chips to advance anyone's agenda.  In the face of these proposed cuts, we must acknowledge the catastrophic impact that they would have on our Nation's housing, a fundamental human right that is critical to the health, safety, and dignity of all of our citizens. If these cuts were to be implemented, 640,000 families across the Nation would lose access to rental assistance if we go through with the draconian 22 percent proposed cut across the board. We are talking about more than 430,000 low-income families facing eviction from Section 8 housing. This would result in an unparalleled loss of affordable housing for older adults, families with disabilities, families with children, and our veterans--individuals who have already confronted adversity and who deserve our unwavering support and protection. Yet, these threats to housing are not the only concern we must address. Amid these proposed budget cuts, we must also be vigilant of the detrimental effects on the central services provided by the Social Security Administration. The cuts would necessitate the closure of field offices and limit access to persons having in-person visits, imposing undue burdens on those seeking assistance. Furthermore, people applying for disability benefits would experience an additional 2-month delay in the processing of their claims, prolonging the struggle to access crucial financial support. This is a moment that demands our outrage, our empathy, and our unwavering commitment to justice. It is a moment that calls upon each and every one of us to stand up and say, ``no more,'' not to negotiate with the debt ceiling. The bills are already due, and our Nation has the character and the capacity. Now we must furnish the will. I hope Wall Street is watching tonight because the chasm and the gap between the proposals is stark, and the time is limited. We will not allow policies that perpetuate inequality to widen the chasm between the haves and have nots. We will not be complicit in the erosion of the very foundation upon which this great Nation was built. The belief that all people are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights; among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is our moral and ethical obligation to stand against these proposed budget cuts and call for a clean raising of the debt ceiling. It has happened three times before in the previous administration. Close to$5 trillion was added. These are America's bills. We can be responsible and meet our obligation. The consequences of such actions would be dire and felt by those who are already struggling the most. Overall, a default on the U.S. debt obligation would trigger a loss of nearly 7 million jobs, push the unemployment rate north of 8 percent, eliminate $10 trillion in household wealth, and reduce real GDP by greater than 4 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office. This is not a path we can afford to take. Our future and the very fabric of our society depend on us defending the rights of the most vulnerable among us and protecting the essential programs that have sustained our communities for generations. Together, let us stand strong against these cuts and fight for the betterment of all Americans. We must ensure that every person has a fair chance to thrive and that the promise of equality and justice remain at the heart of our great Nation. Mr. Speaker, may God bless these United States. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus- McCormick).