[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 51 (Friday, April 8, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H2544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE TRUTH ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN BUDGET

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Johnson) for 3 minutes.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to stand up for the 
middle class, the working poor, and the poor of this great Nation. They 
deserve honesty and a fair shake from their government.
  I'm here to tell the American people the honest truth that the 
Republican budget of fiscal year 2011 would destroy 700,000 jobs and 
derail our economic recovery. Their plan, H.R. 1, would cut funding for 
government programs with the precision of a chain saw.
  The Republicans are ignoring the fact that the policies of the 111th 
Congress and of our President saved America from an economic free fall. 
These same policies have been responsible for the unemployment rate 
falling to 8.8 percent last month, a 2-year low. I think last month was 
the 14th straight month of jobs being created as opposed to jobs being 
cut.
  Instead of funding programs that are helping our economy, these 
Republicans are poised to shut down the government. Today, every 
Republican in unison speaks about this shutdown in hushed and somber 
tones so as not to appear to be gloating. But they really don't care 
about you, the middle class, and they don't care about how a shutdown 
will affect you. And they all, in unison, cast blame on Harry Reid. 
He's going to be the whipping boy that we hear on FOX News tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, a recent study found that more than 40 percent of House 
freshmen are millionaires. They have net worths of up to $40 million. 
And some of these freshmen, who have yet to become millionaires--
they're wannabes--but they enjoy a median estimated wealth for these 
House freshman of $570,000 each. In contrast, according to the U.S. 
census, the median estimated wealth for the average American is 
$120,000. It's a big contrast.
  Instead of funding problems that are helping our economy, they're 
poised to shut down the government. Today, for minorities, the median 
estimated wealth is $27,000. And what the Republicans are doing is 
trying to get us out of this budget turmoil that we're in on the backs 
of the middle class and the poor. It's wrong.

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