FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2015
Contact: Dan Weber
Edwards Statement Opposing GOP Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2016
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (MD-4) spoke today on the House floor in opposition to the GOP Budget Resolution for FY 2016.
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Maryland and my friend from Maryland for his leadership on the Budget Committee and the Democrats on the Budget Committee. Because you know, Mr. Speaker, Congress is really tasked this time of year developing a budget that lays out our nation’s priorities in spending – but those priorities really should reflect our values. And as hard as it is to imagine, and it is hard, this Price budget resolution is actually worse than the previous Ryan budgets for hard-working American families.
“Once again, we see how little Republicans value protecting critical priorities that actually help Americans live a healthy life and enjoy a secure retirement. And in fact the Republican budget would:
- Force working families to pay more in taxes;
- Make college education less affordable;
- Force seniors to pay more for their health care and prescription drugs;
- End the Medicare guarantee by turning it into a voucher program; and
- Lastly Mr. Speaker, it would block grant both Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“The fact is this budget would decimate our nation’s already crumbling infrastructure by reducing funding by 19% over the next decade; and if you would imagine that that means that every road that needs repair, the bridges that are falling apart, and the mass transit that needs investing in and this budget would actually cut our spending by 19% over the next decade.
“And it would require an additional $318 billion from federal and postal employees and their retirees, hard-working people who have given all that they can to deficit reduction. In fact, a constituency that already has contributed $159 billion in deficit reduction.
“Mr. Speaker, Republican priorities are making tax cuts for the wealthy permanent. And they’re shrinking the size of government regardless of the damage, great damage, it would cause.
“House Democrats and I believe in investing in hardworking Americans by:
- Saying it’s important to improve access to high-quality child and dependent care;
- It’s important to invest in quality education for all of our children;
- It’s import to end the draconian across-the-board sequester cuts.
“The Democrat’s budget would protect seniors’ healthcare and retirement, and create jobs here in America through rebuilding our infrastructure and supporting jobs by making sure our nation’s manufacturers get to invest in the research and development that they need.
“In short Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote down this draconian Republican budget and support each of the Democratic alternatives. I know I’ll be voting for them, because each of them even though they’re different, would be way better than the draconian budget that’s been proposed by Republicans. And I thank my colleague from Maryland for his leadership. We need to invest in America’s future, including our hard working men and women.”
For the video clip, please click here.