[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 52 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E495-E496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2012

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H. Con. Res. 112) 
     establishing the budget for the United States Government for 
     fiscal year 2013 and setting forth appropriate budgetary 
     levels for fiscal years 2014 through 2022:

[[Page E496]]

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of the 
Congressional Progressive Caucus Alternative Budget for Fiscal Year 
2013. The budget plan outlined by the CPC takes a calculated and 
balanced approach to restoring America's promise, and investing in our 
future.
  Unlike the House GOP Budget Resolution, the CPC Alternative Budget 
protects Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, Unemployment 
Insurance and other programs that are vital to the most vulnerable 
populations in our society.
  In my district, we suffer from rates of unemployment and home 
foreclosure that are significantly higher than the rest of the country. 
Although our nation's economy is showing positive signs of growth, we 
must continue to make critical investments in our communities to 
accelerate our recovery.
  To that end, the CPC Alternative Budget makes smart investments in 
education, job creation measures, and transportation and infrastructure 
projects. These investments are necessary to ensure that America has a 
skilled and educated workforce that is prepared to tackle the 
challenges of the 21st Century. Without these investments, the United 
States will lose its competitive edge.
  A $556 billion surface transportation bill would help meet the 
overwhelming need for repair and construction of our roadways and aging 
infrastructure. Lastly, the Budget for All outlines a plan for nearly 
$1.7 trillion in widespread domestic investment, getting badly needed 
funds to valuable programs that are scheduled for starvation under 
current law.
  This budget outlines a plan to put over 2 million individuals back to 
work over the next 2 years by hiring them for work in areas critical to 
our quality of life. This would create the School Improvement Corps for 
public school rehabilitation projects, the Park Improvement Corps made 
of youth ages 16 to 25 for restoration on public lands, the Student 
Jobs Corps of college students for part-time work study positions, 
among others. Priority hiring is given to the unemployed and veterans.
  Domestic investments create jobs and lay the foundation for 
exceptional American industries competing in the global economy. The 
creation of an infrastructure bank would attract private investment 
toward critical infrastructure projects and facilitate private-public 
partnerships with our states and localities. Some projections estimate 
that the iBank could mobilize up to $625 billion in funding for 
infrastructure.
  The revenue raised from tax reform measures in the CPC budget will 
allow us to pay for an extension of tax cuts for hard working, middle 
class Americans--providing them with more money to feed their families, 
pay their bills, and fill up their gas tanks.
  Mr. Chair, the CPC Budget will do all of this while managing to be 
able to reduce the deficit by $6.8 trillion.
  Instead of working to strengthen Medicare, the Ryan budget would end 
Medicare as we know it, turning the guarantee of retirement security 
into a voucher that will shift higher and higher costs over time to 
over 45 million seniors.
  In California alone, 5,252,371 seniors would be forced onto vouchers 
when they retire.
  The GOP budget will force seniors to pay higher premiums in order to 
access the same benefits they would receive under the current system. 
For a typical 67 year-old senior, the Ryan budget could increase out-
of-pocket health care costs by $5,900.
  The GOP budget would decimate our primary assistance to the poor by 
cutting $3.3 trillion from essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
  In fact, a report conducted by the Center on Budget and Policy 
Priorities found that 62 percent of proposed cuts in the Ryan budget 
plan come from programs that assist low-income individuals. This is the 
Republican vision: to balance the budget on the backs of the seniors 
and the poor.
  The Ryan budget plan would weaken job growth. The Economic Policy 
Institute found that if we were to follow Chairman Ryan's proposal, 1.3 
million jobs would be lost in 2013 and 2.8 million jobs would be lost 
in 2014.
  Mr. Chair, the CPC has a better way. We understand that our current 
economic situation calls for a balanced approach that protects our 
fragile recovery and invests in our future.
  For these reasons, Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in 
voting for the CPC Alternative Budget.

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