Congressional Black Caucus--Road to Ruin: House Republicans Fail on the Budget

Floor Speech

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Mrs. BEATTY. I thank the gentleman.

I always look forward to engaging in our Congressional Black Caucus' Special Order hour and, tonight, for our dialogue, for our debate, on the House Republicans' repeated failure to pass a budget.

First, let me say, as your classmate and colleague, being able to be the voice for your constituents and my constituents and America at large, it is an honor. I think it is so important, when we think about how important the work of this Congress is, for us to take on challenging the House Republicans' road to ruin.

Madam Speaker, tonight, the Congressional Black Caucus is going to discuss the importance of why we should pass a budget. Not only that, I am sure Mr. Jeffries and I will have a dialogue about the value and the importance of having a budget. As Members of Congress and, especially, as members of the Congressional Black Caucus, we know specifically that a budget creates jobs and that it raises the paychecks of hardworking American people while reducing the deficit in a balanced and responsible way.

Madam Speaker, let me just take a moment to point out that this is not the first time that the Congressional Black Caucus has held a Special Order hour on the subject of the Republicans' inaction. Earlier this year, the Congressional Black Caucus came to this House floor and implored the Republican leadership to do its job--the job America wants us to do--and that was to enact commonsense gun control legislation. To date, Madam Speaker, Republicans have continued to fail the American people by putting forth or by bringing forth commonsense gun control legislation. It is still hanging out there, waiting for action.

Now, again, here in the House of Representatives, the people's House, we are faced with another instance of Republican failure. Under law, as spelled out in title III of the Congressional Budget Act, Congress is directed to complete actions on the concurrent resolution on the budget by April 15, as we heard Mr. Jeffries remind us. A concurrent resolution on the budget means it is supposed to pass both the Senate and the House, again, by April 15. At this date, neither Chamber has considered a budget resolution for 2017.

Madam Speaker, I don't know about your constituents, but in my district, Ohio's Third Congressional District, my constituents expect Congress to work; so let's take a look at it.

What happens when people refuse to do their jobs?

If postal workers don't deliver, you don't get your mail. If farmers don't farm, people don't eat. If teachers don't show up, our children don't learn. People all over America take their jobs seriously, and they expect us, as their elected officials, to also do that. It is time for House Republicans to get America off the road to ruin and back on the path to prosperity.

When Speaker Ryan took office--this is worth repeating, and Congressman Jeffries mentioned this earlier. When Speaker Ryan took office, House Republicans stated that passing a budget was a basic function of government. However, the statutory deadline of passing a budget resolution by April 15 has come and gone, although House Republicans made passing a budget a top priority for this year. In the Republicans' own words, they can't even accomplish the basic functions of government--their job.

Madam Speaker, why do we care that we don't have a budget? Let me give you the answer.

The importance of setting a budget is that it lays out the blueprint for the appropriations process. It outlines government spending for the year. Without a budget, we have 12 appropriations bills that are working their way through Congress without there being guiding principles on overall spending. If we cannot as a Congress perform the basic functions of governing, how are we going to tackle the much more complicated issues, such as income inequality, education quality, tuition affordability, tax reform, and so many others?

Once again, House Republicans have demonstrated the degree to which the sharp division within their Conference is impeding Congress' ability to work for the American people. Instead of coming together with Democrats to pass a budget resolution that will create jobs and grow the paychecks of hardworking American families, they have just decided not to pass a budget.

This decision was made despite the fact that President Obama submitted his budget request to Congress back in February. As you may remember, Madam Speaker, the Republican majority here in the House of Representatives and the Republican-controlled Senate took the unprecedented step of refusing to receive the OMB Director for a formal hearing so as to present the President's budget.

Madam Speaker, how did that turn out for us? We all know how it turned out. The Republican Conference failed the American people, and it set us on a road to ruin by not passing a budget.

Mr. Jeffries, I look forward to our continuing this dialogue tonight with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

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Mrs. BEATTY. I think Mr. Jeffries and our other colleagues have said it so well, but here is what I am afraid of.

I think the Republicans--the GOP--want to take us down to the radical trickle-down agenda that shattered our economy and hollowed out the wages of middle class, hardworking Americans.

You said it all with that comparison from Clinton to Bush to now President Obama. And I could add to that long list: some 18 million people with health insurance; women having some of the best healthcare opportunities, getting mammograms for those who are under- and uninsured. We are able to have college students stay on their parent's insurance.

So I think when we look at what is happening, there are billions of dollars that they want to do away with in programs. And we can add to that: the $185 billion from Federal college aid for low-income students or the $150 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Many of my constituents refer to that as their food stamps. And certainly, but for the Congressional Black Caucus, those members on the Agriculture Committee, those Members in leadership fighting for us to restore those dollars, I think it is quite simple.

I think what we are hearing tonight from our members of the Congressional Black Caucus is that they are trying to take us back in history. They are trying to take us back to an era of time, and we are not going to let them do that. We have too much at stake. We have gained so much.

Someone may ask us tonight: Why are we here? Why are we the conscience of the Congress, Mr. Speaker? Why are we here tonight talking about the road to ruin and destruction by not having a congressional budget?

I think the facts speak for themselves. I think that the American public needs to know that this is not something that just affects the Congressional Black Caucus. I want that to be clear. This affects America.

You mentioned it with Mr. Clyburn's 10-20-30. The fact is more individuals who don't look like members of the Congressional Black Caucus will benefit. And that is the difference between Democrats and Republicans. We care about all people.

They profess to have hearings on poverty, and then when you look at the results of their own budget and what they are doing to those individuals who live in poverty--chuckle we may, clear our voice, Mr. Speaker, as we may--the facts speak for themselves. They are not creating programs that will help us eliminate poverty. And it is as simple as that.

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