[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 59 (Thursday, April 10, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E581-E582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 8, 2014

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H. Con. Res. 96) 
     establishing the budget for the United States Government for 
     fiscal year 2015 and setting forth appropriate budgetary 
     levels for fiscal years 2016 through 2024:

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to the 
Republican Budget for fiscal year 2015. We have two choices in front of 
us

[[Page E582]]

today. Two choices on the programs and investments we must fund and 
prioritize to balance deficit reduction with economic growth.
  The prosperity of our Nation is dependent on a strong middle class. 
Regrettably, the Republican budget would increase taxes on middle class 
families, provide huge tax breaks for the wealthy, and place the burden 
of paying for those tax breaks on working Americans, and their 
children.
  We have seen this budget before--a couple of times, in fact. It's the 
same budget Chairman Ryan brought us in 2013, and in 2012. It is a 
budget that works for the one percent at the expense of the other 99 
percent. It shifts future costs to seniors by ending the Medicare 
guarantee and raising prescription drug costs. It cuts investment in 
our Nation's infrastructure, slashes funding for program, that keep 
children from going hungry, and guts education through cuts to Pell 
grants and K-12 education. Republicans have proposed a budget that 
attacks the very foundation of the middle class. It is a path that will 
lead to economic uncertainty for millions of Americans, and it is not a 
budget I can support in good conscience.
  Democrats have offered a fair and balanced alternative budget that 
preserves our social safety net, keeps the promises made to our 
seniors, and asks all Americans to pay their fair share in reducing the 
deficit. Rhode Islanders understand more than most the toll 
unemployment can take on families and our communities. The Democratic 
alternative extends emergency unemployment insurance so those who are 
still struggling to find work can keep paying their bills. It provides 
$76 billion for early childhood education and ensures college 
affordability by lowering student loan debt and including new repayment 
options. It provides funding for public transit, our highways, and 
supports critical investments in research and development, clean 
energy, manufacturing, and programs that make our industries 
competitive globally.
  I have a responsibility to my constituents, and to every American, to 
make sure that policies we enact in Congress provide for the long term 
health and prosperity of our Nation, which include getting people back 
to work, giving our businesses the support they need to grow, and 
building a skilled workforce to meet the demands of a 21st Century 
economy. The Republican budget takes us in the wrong direction. I urge 
my colleagues to reject the Republican Budget and support the 
Democratic alternative that keeps our promises to our seniors, 
preserves our social safety net, and balances deficit reduction with 
job growth and economic recovery.

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