Date: 2005-11-08
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it is again a pleasure to be here with you to talk about the issues that are important to the American people. I think the gentleman from -Alabama and the gentleman from Florida would both agree that this week really- everything is going to come to a head. The choices that Members in this Chamber are going to be asked to make. more than any other week that I have been here. I think. are going to be emblematic of where our priorities are. The choices that we are going o have to make on this budget reconciliation bill. which is Washingtonspeak for budget cuts. is going to show who is for the American people in making sure that they can sustain a decent quality of life and who is against that concept and is more supportive of making sure that the wealthy can stay wealthy. That is really what it boils down to. � Just to give you. Mr. Speaker. an idea. as well as anyone who can hear our conversation. of exactly what we are going to be asked to choose between this week. the Republican leadership and the Republican Members have been making a lot of hay about the spending cuts that they are going to ask us to vote for. that they are needed reductions because we have to do something about this deficit. And we agree. We agree that there needs to be something done about the deficit. But the difference between our approach and the Republican approach is that our approach would actually reduce the deficit. and their approach actually adds to it. If you have a little less than $55 billion in budget cuts. yet still have 70someoddbillion dollars in tax cuts. the difference between that is $20 billion more added on to the deficit. * Now. I can tell you honestly that I was not very good at math when I was younger and struggled with it a little bit. but that is pretty simple math. That is not complex. It is not calculus. It does not require an advanced degree. Seventy minus 50 is 20. And it is not a negative number. It is a positive number added on to the deficit. Let us demonstrate that while we are still providing $70 billion to tax cuts for the wealthy we are cutting the following things: for the sake of more tax cuts in this budget reconciliation bill. students can expect to pay as much as $5.800 more for college. For the sake of more tax cuts. 300.000 of Americas neediest will be - left without food stamps. For the sake of more tax cuts. we will fail in our obligation to bring hurricane victims lasting relief. For the sake of more tax cuts. $10 billion. $10 billion with a B. will be slashed from Medicaid. One in four children in America get their health care from Medicaid. For the sake of more tax cuts. we will ensure that the deficit remains high and the burden of creating .more debt and paying that debt by our selfishness in choosing to help the wealthy at the expense of the people who are the most in need and the people who .are just working every day to make ends meet. that is the debt we are passing on to our children and our childrens" children. And it is just mindboggling to me. I know I am a freshman. The two gentlemen have been here longer than me. Maybe I am naive. Maybe the gentleman can provide some clarity because to me it is simple math. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman. from Alabama .