Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Advocates for the CBC Budget Alternative

Transcript

well I thank I thank my good friend the distinguished gentleman from the silver state for uh his leadership in co-anchoring the CBC special order uh and for giving me the opportunity to lay out as best I can the contrasting Visions as represented by the CBC budget and we're thankful for the leadership of Representative Bobby Scott in that regard and the GOP budget we're at a Crossroads in America a fork in the road and we can go in one of two different directions and One Direction is a compassionate path as set forth by the Congressional Black Caucus the other direction is a more regressive mean-spirited path as set forth GOP budget the CBC budget is designed to create progress for the greatest number of people possible here in America the GOP budget endorses the view of prosperity for the few the CBC budget takes a balanced approach to dealing with the economic situation that we find ourselves in here in America the GOP budget balances the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable in our society the CBC budget will create jobs for Americans the GOP budget will cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs two very different Visions for where we need to go here in America now a balanced approach has four different elements first invest in the American economy second raise Revenue by closing corporate loopholes that are unfair unjust and in many instances unconscionable tax breaks for corporate Jets tax subsidies for big oil companies that are making record profits tax incentives for American companies to ship our jobs overseas the CBC budget will close these wasteful corporate loopholes third we look for savings by cutting waste Fraud and Abuse and we take this approach because of the sensitive nature of our fragile economic recovery you can't just cut the budget with a meat cleaver without hurting the American people lastly the CBC balanced approach stands up for important programs like Social Security Medicare and Medicaid that have nothing to do with the economic mess that we find ourselves in right now now we don't have a short-term deficit crisis in America that's what the independent objective economists have concluded the Speaker of the House of Representatives has acknowledg we don't have a short-term deficit crisis the chairman of the budget Committee just yesterday acknowledged that we don't have a short-term deficit crisis we've gained 6 million jobs over the last four plus years but we still have a long way to go we've got a jobs crisis now corporate profits are way up the stock market is way up the productivity of the American worker is way up but the reality is consumer demand remains stagnant that's why we have to invest in the American economy invest in transportation and infrastructure research and development invest in technology and Innovation education and job training as this CBC budget compassionately does now the other budget balances itself on the backs of the poor children senior citizens working families and the middle class now they'll say we're trying to put for for misinformation to scare the American people that's a cute observation but it has no factual basis the go budget cuts Medicaid by $ 810 billion dollar that's not a scare tactic that's reality the GOP budget voucherizing Medicare so that in the future the health care cost covered by this voucher program in the manner that it is right now that's not a scare tactic that's reality the GOP budget cuts spending on higher education by $168 billion that's not a scare tactic that's reality and that's why we are putting forth a compassionate budget to put the American people back to work I yield back to my good friend from Nevada thank you and the