Date: 2005-09-21
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. let us make the meat on that bone turkey. and let us talk turkey now. because beyond the partisan commission and beyond what we are saying. which is that there should be an independent commission so that we can truly get to the bottom of this. let us go a step further. because there are other things going on in Congress related to the reaction to Katrina. We know that for the next several years we will have what will be a massive public works effort to rebuild the Gulf States. which we will be behind wholeheartedly. because there but for the grace of God go we. and we would want our colleagues to do the same and be supportive if it happened in our State. Our colleagues were very supportive of Floridians when we faced Andrew down and the followup to Andrew. But there are going to be some serious needs that will need to be met. How is the Republican leadership talking about responding to those needs? Well. let us go through it. First. they are talking about keeping the tax cuts in place: Let us not touch the tax cuts. because wealthy people. they need them. It is really important. So those are off the table. those are off limits. On top of that. they are saying. you know. we got some concern occasionally about the deficit. so the rightwingers on the other side of the aisle are saying that. you know. the cost of rebuilding the Gulf States is going to be prohibitive. and we want to preserve wealthy peoples tax cuts while we are rebuilding. the Gulf Coast States. so we need to look to some more spending cuts. And where are they talking about those spending cuts being from? Well. they are starting off with delaying the prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients. for senior citizens who can barely make ends meet. for senior citizens who have to choose between medicine and meals. for people who literally live. bottom line. day to day. Then. they are also talking about cutting transportation projects. thousands and thousands of transportation projects. billions of dollars. Now. who did Katrina hurt the most? The poor people. the people who are poverty stricken. 100.000. of them at least. who could not get out of New Orleans and who had to go to the Superdome to be able to find refuge. So how. when we are trying to find them jobs. are we going to get them to those jobs if we cut transportation projects. if we do not have mass transit assistance? That is how poor people get to work. Where" is the heart? Where is the trust? There is no heart in this leadership. no caring. no feeling. It is all about them. It is. you know. we got ours and the people that support us. we gave them theirs. and we are going to make sure they keep it. and everybody else be damned. That is what these people are all about. When it comes down to it. over the next 14 months. as we go through a discussion with the American people about the choices that they will have. it is going to be about trust. Who do you trust to take care of you? Who do you trust to be there for you in your time of need. to protect you when you are in potential danger. and to be there for you when it is time to clean up and help you move your life forward?