Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

In just 4 weeks, Donald Trump has sown chaos all over this country. His administration is defying court orders, firing Federal workers, freezing vital funding that our constituents depend on, impacting everything from wildfire preparations to water security, health and housing programs, and a lot more. All of this is under the guise of cost savings, but the reality is there are no meaningful savings or other benefits for average taxpayers.

Real people's lives are being turned upside down: our National Park Service and workers at a number of Federal agencies, farmers, and firefighters. Everyone who depends on Federal services is feeling the squeeze of this reckless agenda. Meanwhile, Republicans are preparing their budget reconciliation bill, which is going to cost at least $4 trillion.

Mr. Chairman, our Republican colleagues are being coy about the specifics, but Americans can connect the dots. There can't be a tax cut for billionaires of that magnitude without either dramatically slashing Medicaid and maybe Social Security and Medicare while you are at it, or dramatically exploding the deficit.

Just like every other action before us, the Republicans' budget is a betrayal of the American people. The majority is choosing billionaires over programs that everyday people depend on.

In my district alone, hundreds of thousands of people will lose Medicaid. Tens of thousands will lose SNAP benefits that help put food on the table. The Natural Resources Committee is tasked with finding at least $1 billion of these savings, $1 billion for their billionaire joyride. Their plan is to sell off public lands and do more favors for Big Oil.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Chairman, Republicans plan to do more favors for Big Oil even though they are rolling in record profits and even though we are already producing and exporting record amounts of oil and gas. Of course, their old favorite is to open up the Arctic Refuge for drilling and pretend that that will bring in money, as well. Last time, it brought in zero dollars when they did that in 2017.

Mr. Chairman, I am going to vote ``no.'' I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source