Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Chair, it was quite remarkable to go back home to New York's 20th District last week after spending 12 hours moving this monstrosity through the Budget Committee. Everywhere I went folks were imploring me, begging and pleading, to stand up to this cruelty.

Moreover, that is after weeks of receiving nonstop calls from thousands of activated and engaged constituents, many of whom are reaching out to me for the very first time.

I held a townhall at Albany High School and, like many of my colleagues' in recent weeks, it was packed. The energy in the room was palpable: fear, helplessness, and anger.

Why, Mr. Chairman, are we forcing through legislation that will hurt the very people we represent?

My constituents should never have to stand up and tell me they will interrupt their lives to stand up and fight with me in D.C. against the Republican agenda, but they did.

Our job is to serve the American people, not rip access to basic necessities away from them at the behest of a President who declared himself king. Frankly, it is insulting to me, to this institution, to the working families of New York's 20th District, and to every American who is still struggling just to get by.

Nevertheless, here we are, blowing a $3 trillion hole in our national debt to serve billionaire oligarchs instead, billionaire oligarchs and donors who will never have to wonder whether they can afford to go to the doctor, retire with dignity, or even put food on the table to feed their children at night.

It is outrageous, it is a rip-off, and it is a heartless betrayal of the American people, the middle class, working families, and future generations.

My district has asked me: Where is the solution to this?

It rests right in this Chamber. Let us assume the responsibilities, the duties, the authority, and the power we have by the Constitution with the power of the purse placed in our hands here in the House of Representatives. Let's act accordingly.

They didn't want a President to circumvent Congress, they didn't want an agent who never had a background check and who was never confirmed by the U.S. Senate and who is wielding a chain saw at our programs and not showing sensitivity, compassion, and intellect in academics that will make the true difference.

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