Date: 2014-04-10
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I would also. Mr. Chairman. like to take this opportunity. it is Chairman RYANs last year as head of the Budget Committee. and I do want to thank him for the professional way in which he has conducted the committee. Lest he think I am getting carried away. this is an example where process did not lead to a better product. and that is why we are here today because. unfortunately. I have to report that this House Republican budget is the worst of the Republican budgets I have seen in the last 3 years for the United States of America. Mr. Chairman. budgets reflect the choices we make for our country. They tell the American people what we care about and what we care less about. At every juncture in this House Republican budget. they choose to protect very powerful special interests and the most wealthy in our country at the expense of everyone else and at the expense of all the other priorities. For example. they have tax cuts that actually encourage companies to ship American jobs. not products. overseas. while our budget invests right here in the United States of America. Now. we heard the Republican leader say we want a better economy for everybody. The Congressional Budget Office tells us that this Republican budget will slow down economic growth right now for the next couple of years. that it will reduce job growth in the next couple of years. all while doing what? Providing another windfall tax break to millionaires. Yes. look at their budget. They want to drop the top tax rate. 39 percent to 25 percent. full 30 percent. What does that mean? $200.000 average tax break for millionaires. Who finances it in their budget? Well. math tells you middleincome taxpayers pay more. They pay $2.000 more per. average. in order to finance trickledown economics. even though we know from experience that that was a dead end for this country. While our Republican colleagues talk about fiscal responsibility. apparently they dont care enough about it to close one single special interest tax loophole to help reduce the deficitnot one. not a hedge fund owner. not a big oil company. not one. And because they say hands off the most powerful and the most privileged. their budget has to come after everybody else. and it does. So it hits our kids education. early education. K12. College students are asked to pay more interest. In fact. they got $45 billion savings by charging college kids more interest while they are still in college and not working. again. while hands off the powerful special interests. Seniors. seniors on Medicare see the prescription drug doughnut hole open. the safety net. again. shredded. And all for what purpose? Now. they claim that they are going to somehow balance the budget at the end of the 10year window. But you know what? They cant have it both ways. We have had over 50 votes here in the House of Representatives from our colleagues to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But guess what. They have got $2 trillion in this budget from revenues and savings from the Affordable Care Act. We use some of those savings. We use those Medicare savings to strengthen Medicare. Mr. Chairman. I now yield the final minute to the gentlewoman from California . the distinguished Democratic leader who has been a fighter for Americas priorities.