[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 24, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H1853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
             REPUBLICAN FISCAL YEAR 2016 BUDGET RESOLUTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Alabama (Ms. Sewell) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise against the 
Republican fiscal year 2016 budget resolution. This budget proposal 
would reduce critical economic investments, undermine growth in our 
jobs, as well as attempt to reduce the deficit on the backs of our 
students, seniors, low-income families, and the American middle class.
  The Republican 2016 budget abandons our students. Our students, 
overall, are our country's future. It abandons our students by making 
cuts to college aid, research, job training, and innovation. It also 
abandons our most vulnerable. It would end Medicare as we know it and 
make harmful changes to Medicaid, threatening our seniors across this 
country.
  The 2016 Republican proposal also threatens low-income families by 
reducing the food stamp program and by repealing the Affordable Care 
Act, leaving 16.4 million Americans who now have access to quality, 
affordable health care coverage without a viable option. In my State of 
Alabama alone, over 171,000 Alabamians have selected a plan and/or were 
automatically enrolled in the ACA--that is over 171,000 Alabamians. 
These citizens will be abandoned by the Republican budget proposal and 
would not have insurance for quality health care.
  Furthermore, the Republican budget proposal does nothing to help 
incentivize job creation or put Americans back to work. We are 
currently on a path towards growth and prosperity.
  Under President Obama's leadership, the economy has added more than 
12 million private sector jobs in the last 60 months. The Republican 
2016 budget proposal would reverse those valuable gains--12 million 
private sector jobs in the last 60 months.
  Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that instead of putting forth a budget 
that would create jobs, balance our budget, and spur economic growth 
throughout our country, we are once again seeing divisive politics at 
work. Instead of attempting to balance the budget on the backs of 
American families, as this budget proposal does, we should be seeking 
to find a fair and balanced plan to responsibly reduce our deficit, to 
grow our economy, to strengthen our infrastructure, to spur innovation, 
and to create jobs.
  As we move forward, it is my hope that we will pass a 2016 Federal 
budget that works for all Americans and leaves no one behind.
  I ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the Republican 2016 budget 
resolution.

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