Date: 2015-03-18
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I am here today representing the Congressional Progressive Caucus and to discuss our budget. the peoples budget. I pray that I am not the only one that is speaking for the 60 minutes allotted. Yesterday. Mr. Speaker. the House of Representatives released their budget proposal. Although they have a new chairman. they are following the same game plan: privatize Medicare. slash spending on safety net programs. and hope that tax cuts for the rich trickle down from top earners to the rest of the country. That is not what the American people need. They need a plan that levels the playing field. that gives them an opportunity to succeed. and puts their interests above the interests of corporations and the wealthy. They need a budget that is of the people. by the people. and for the people. That is what we are offering in the peoples budget. If you need a way to pay for affordable child care while you are at your job. we have got it in the peoples budget. If you need access to quality education for your children. teachers that are trained to give them the knowledge they need to be great. we have got it in the peoples budget. If you worked hard to get into college but now need a way to pay for your tuition. we have got it in the peoples budget. If you cant make ends meet. if the pay you take home barely keeps a roof over your head and you are making important choices between food and shelter and you are looking for a livable wage. we have got it in the peoples budget. Mr. Speaker. in the hands of the GOP. this Congress has offered tax break after tax break after tax break after tax break for corporations and billionaires while cutting the very programs that working Americans rely on to pull themselves up the economic ladder that has given generations of American families access to the middle class. If anyone deserves a tax cut. it is not millionaires. It is the folks that are loading the trucks. the folks that are scanning the groceries. the folks that are cleaning the office buildings. the folks that are working as clerks. the folks that are working as secretaries. and the folks that are doing the important service jobs that our society so needs. The peoples budget would invest in priorities that will keep the American people strong. just for everyone. It offers jobs that will restore our middle class. It addresses our Nations most pressing challenges. issues like climate change. aging transportation infrastructure. access to education at every level. and goodpaying jobs. This. Mr. Speaker. is about restoring Congress commitment to serving hardworking Americans who are playing by the rules but still not getting ahead. This. Mr. Speaker. is about the lives that regular Americans are able to live. Some say that it is not hard to find any old job and get a paycheck. but does that job offer a high enough wage or enough hours to pay the rent? Can you take time off for illness or to take care of your kids? Do you know that you will have enough to pay for child care while you are at the job? Do you have health insurance in the event that you need it? My Congressional Progressive Caucus colleagues and I think that taxpaying Americans deserve to confidently answer "yes" to all of these questions. and that is what we are fighting for. Today. we were given the distinct opportunity to present tenets of our budget to a group of interested peopleeveryday working peoplepeople who are working for decentpaying jobs. They are not looking for handouts. They are looking for recognition that they are part of this American Dream. and it is our responsibility to ensure that we are not impediments. but that we are facilitators of that American Dream for everyone. At this time. Mr. Speaker. I yield to my colleague. the chairman of the Progressive Caucus. Congressman ELLISON.