Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE -- (House of Representatives - November 17, 2005)

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Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, up until now I think we have had a very civil debate here this evening on a very important matter to the American people, a matter that consumes a great deal of the time of the Congress, the blueprint for what we do in the year, the budget.

Tonight, the Republicans are launching an attack on America's children and America's families; and they are also launching an attack on America's middle class, all of this to give a tax cut to the wealthiest people in our country.

This budget is a sham, and it is a shame. Democrats believe that together America can do better.

I am so proud of my Democratic colleagues tonight because they have stood proudly for fiscal responsibility.

I am so proud of the Blue Dogs and how they led this debate tonight for pay-as-you-go, for no deficit spending, for fiscal soundness so that future generations will not have to bear the brunt of the fiscal irresponsibility that the Republicans are continuing to present to the Congress.

I am proud of the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) for his tremendous leadership as our ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee. He, indeed, has put forth an alternative budget, a Democratic budget, that would eliminate the deficit in 2012, was balanced in terms of its values, its priorities and in addition to its funding.

Mr. Rangel led the way from the Ways and Means Committee in terms of tax fairness in our country. Mr. Dingell spoke in and his members spoke so eloquently about what would happen to Medicaid in this Republican proposal, and Mr. Miller, of course, was relentless in his advocacy for America's students.

I have heard my Republican colleagues talk about those who disagree with their budget priorities as hypocrites and demagogues. Well, let me introduce some others to this debate who might fall into that category by our Republican colleagues' characterization.

Let me start with the National Council of Churches USA. They have written to every Member of Congress and very carefully dissected this budget, and this is what they say: ``The role of government is to protect the people and work for the common good. This is not the time for the budget reconciliation process to create greater hardships for those who are already experiencing great suffering. To do so is not only unjust; it is a sin. It violates all the fundamental Christian principles of loving thy neighbor, caring for the poor, and showing mercy. As religious leaders, this is a violation that is unacceptable to us.

``How is it that we show mercy for oil millionaires and not hurricane survivors? We urge you to change this destructive course of action for the sake of our Nation and for generations to come.''

I submit this for the RECORD. But first I want to read a list of those who signed the letter so that they perhaps will be labeled by our colleagues on the Republican side as hypocrites and demagogues.

The National Council of Churches USA, the Alliance of Baptists; the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Friends United; Philadelphia Religious Society of Friends; Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; International Council of Community Churches; Moravian Church in America; National Baptist Convention USA; National Missionary Baptist Convention of America; Polish National Catholic Church of America; Presbyterian Church USA; Progressive National Baptist Convention; Swedenborgian Church; United Church of Christ; General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church.

I am very proud, also, that we have a letter from Catholic Charities. And Catholic Charities says that it is our ``tradition that teaches us that society, acting through government, has a special obligation to consider first the needs of the poor. Yet the proposed budget cuts put a disproportionate burden on the poor, those that can least afford it.''

``We urge you to oppose these proposed cuts.''

And that letter I wish to submit for the RECORD because it carefully goes into every detail of this budget and urges opposition. And, in fact, leaders of the faith community, indeed, came to the Capitol Rotunda to pray that Congress would make the right decision. On November 3, they said that the House Republicans seem to be saying that they literally want to take food out of the mouths of children to make rich people richer. They said budgets are moral documents and they reflect our national priorities and values. In the name of social conscience, fiscal responsibility, equality of opportunity, protecting our communities, and the very idea of the common good, they said that the faith community is drawing a moral line in the sand against these provisions in this budget.

Democrats will join the faith community in drawing a moral line in the sand, because we know that together America can do better.

My Democratic colleagues have eloquently made an indictment against this budget, which is immoral because, with more than $70 billion tax cuts which mainly benefit the wealthiest people in America, this Republican budget decimates the very programs that millions of middle class Americans rely upon to get ahead. As the number of people without health insurance has increased for 4 years in a row under the Bush administration, Republicans are charging ahead with billions of dollars in cuts in Medicaid, the health insurance program that provides medical care to America's poorest children, many of them Katrina survivors. Republicans give new meaning to the words ``suffer little children.''

The number of people in America go to sleep hungry because they cannot afford to buy food has risen by 7 million people in the 5 years of the Bush administration. Seven million more people go to sleep hungry because they cannot afford to buy food. That is a 12 percent increase. Republicans are slashing food assistance for America's poor children; slashing funds for preventative services and foster care for abused and neglected children when more help, not less, is needed; drastically reducing funding for child support enforcement programs, which could result in billions in reduced child support from delinquent dads for their children.

And how about this one: For our troops serving in combat zones in Iraq, they are prevented from fully accessing the low-income tax credit. How is that for honoring our men and women in uniform?

The Republicans, as the people of faith said in their document, are literally taking food out of the mouths of children to give tax cuts to America's wealthy. This is not a statement of American values. In their years in the majority, Republicans have turned budget surpluses into seas of red ink. These budget deficits are the result of misplaced Republican priorities, a refusal to join Democrats in putting forth fiscally responsible budgets, Pay-As-You-Go, no deficit spending, and shared sacrifice in spending cuts. Democrats believe that together America can do better.

And we did. I want to join my distinguished colleague from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our distinguished whip, in singing the praises of the Democrats. In August of 1993, Democrats passed an economic package that led to historic growth in our economy, and we did so without one Republican vote. As Mr. Hoyer said, in the Clinton administration, we had zero deficits. In fact, we had surplus for the last several years of the Clinton administration. We were on a trajectory of $5.6 trillion in surplus. And then the Bush administration began and that all reversed. They have taken us on a trajectory of over $4 trillion, a swing of about $10 trillion, the largest swing from surplus to deficit in our history by far, and a disgraceful one at that. The surpluses were based on Pay-As-You-Go, no deficit spending, and they were implemented with not one Republican vote for fiscal soundness.

The Republican Congress wants to give tax cuts to the rich, to subsidize oil companies which are enjoying obscene profits while American consumers are paying an increased price at the pump and an increased price for their home heating gas and oil. As the religious community said, why are we giving relief to the oil companies and not the people? They are increasing taxes on the middle class. Nineteen million middle-income Americans will have their taxes increased under this bill.

This is not a values-based budget. It is not worthy of our support. I urge my colleagues to reject this resolution that will increase our swollen budget deficits by another $20 billion, hurt our most vulnerable citizens and the middle class. Again, together, America can do better with a budget that would help Katrina and Rita survivors, veterans, students, working families struggling to fill their gas tanks, heat their homes, and afford medical care.

Democrats are proud to join the faith community in rejecting this immoral budget. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

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