[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 69 (Friday, May 9, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H3962]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


             CALLING ON AMERICANS TO ENSURE THEY ARE HEARD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I am moved to 
wish all of the mothers of America a happy Mother's Day. Just a few 
hours ago, I stood with mothers from this community acknowledging the 
very special challenges that mothers have, particularly unemployed 
mothers in supporting their families, nurturing sons and daughters who 
cannot find employment. I encourage them to have their voices heard. In 
fact, I challenged the mothers of America, particularly the large 
numbers of mothers who face economic troubles and challenges every day, 
to have a mothers' march so that their voices can be heard; a mothers' 
march that will march on Washington to ask the hard questions about 
health care, education, Medicare and Medicaid, the kinds of issues that 
my friends on the other side of the aisle make light of, throw it to 
the wind, call it the poor people's issues.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to take issue with some of the good 
words of my friends from the other side of the aisle. I will show my 
colleagues the headline in USA Today that says, ``Support for the Bush 
tax cut is growing.'' I have an answer to that, Mr. Speaker. Every 
Sunday morning, before millions of Americans go off to church, the 
owned and paid-for national television programs time after time show 
the same droning voice, one side of the issue, how great a $550 billion 
tax cut is. If our airwaves, that are supposed to be protected by the 
first amendment, do not allow the opposition perspective to even be 
heard, then what would we expect from the American people? What would 
we expect but for the polling to go from 42 percent to 52 percent. 
Shame on America's media. They only showed one side of the war, and now 
they are only going to show one side of the domestic tax debate.
  Our good friends in this House followed suit. Never in the history of 
this body, the body that is supposed to be responsible for the purse 
strings of America, and debated on the floor of the House a lousy 1 
hour when, in the times of the Democratic control, hours of debate, 
days of debate were given to the opposition to express their viewpoint. 
But yet we were denied both a motion to recommit and a substitute. What 
do you expect from the American people?
  But let me tell the American people, those of them who claim to be 
interested in this government: you can lay back and let the polls speak 
for you if you desire to do so. You can say Democrats cannot be heard. 
But you look at this picture in The Washington Post and see the throngs 
of Iraqis, the bills that are going to be mounting; and yet my 
colleagues are arguing for a $550 billion tax cut that is going to do 
nothing for the people of this Nation.
  In fact, just my district, as an example, those individuals, the 
average tax cut for the top 2 percent of taxpayers in the 18th 
congressional district, a somewhat similar district to American 
districts around the country, those making the top 2 percent, they will 
get $13,000. But the average tax cut for the lower 56 percent of the 
taxpayers in the 18th congressional district will be a lousy $136.
  The Democratic job plan sings a different tune, but we cannot get the 
airing or the hearing before the American public. We believe in tax 
cuts for working families, increasing the child tax credit, expansion 
of the 10 percent bracket, eliminating the marriage penalty. We believe 
in allowing small businesses to expense up to $75,000, bonused 
appreciation. We understand that small businesses are the backbone of 
America. And for those of you looking for jobs and are frustrated, 
deflated, and frightened, we understand the compassion that is needed 
for you to be able to support your families; but our Republican friends 
did not extend your unemployment benefits.
  We know the crises that are going on in families today, the very 
tough decisions that have to be made about food or pay the rent, but 
our Republican friends are not interested. We give broader coverage for 
those who are unemployed. We give money back to the States. How many of 
you come from States where they are grappling with a budget deficit and 
they cannot afford to pay teachers or child care providers? We 
understand that in providing health care, education, and homeland 
security and infrastructure.
  Might I suggest to my colleagues that it is a mockery to think that 
this $550 billion joke is going to create jobs. The President's plan is 
$550 billion. He alleges that it will create 1 million jobs. That means 
we are paying $550,000 per job. Two jobs, two jobs, it takes.
  So all I can say to the American public and to my colleagues in this 
House, when the Republicans are in charge, this chart shows us that we 
lose jobs. When the Democrats were in charge, including President 
Clinton, we voted in 1993 to surge the economy and in 1997 to surge the 
economy, and we did that. And the 1990s were one of the most prosperous 
decades in the history of this Nation. It is a shame on America, a 
shame on the media for you to allow yourselves to be so duped. I hope 
you understand. If you do not stand up and speak for yourself, you will 
be run over.

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