[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 129 (Tuesday, July 30, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2019

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I support the Bipartisan 
Budget Caps and Debt Limit Deal as an important step to protect 
Americans and our economy. This agreement secures an additional $100 
billion for crucial services to promote the well-being of our residents 
while rejecting the offsets proposed by the current Administration. 
This agreement permanently ends the harmful cuts to non-defense 
programs that support the health, housing, education, child care, and 
security of Americans via the discretionary sequester. It allows 
continued investment in veterans, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, environmental sustainability, the National Institutes of 
Health, and the fight against drug addiction sweeping the nation, 
including my state of Illinois. This agreement also protects the full-
faith and credit of our government by raising the country's debt limit.
  As we know, the debt limit was reinstated to $22 Trillion on March 2, 
2019, imposing a legal limitation on the government's ability to issue 
debt and pay many federal obligations that directly impact the American 
people. A suspension of the debt limit until July 31, 2020 is a 
critical win for the Democratic Leadership that protects our national 
economy.
  The sequester and restrictive appropriations under Republicans have 
eroded federal support for programs that help children and families in 
this nation and internationally, cutting domestic and international 
programs by 4.6 percent between FY2010 to FY2019 after inflation. 
Constituents in my District have felt these cuts, and this deal helps 
rebuild these important services. In my district with a population of 
approximately 703,000 residents, 30.8 percent of children live in 
poverty and 15 percent live in extreme poverty, 25 percent of taxfilers 
are low-income working parents, and 18.7 percent of adults in my 
District over 18 have income below the poverty level. These Chicagoans 
rely on an array of programs to work and care for their families. 
According to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, 
in 2016, my district alone had a veteran population of over 41,978 
people. These returning heroes and public servants deserve a government 
that serves them and assists with resources so that they can live the 
American dream.
  This is not a perfect agreement, but it moves our country forward in 
very important ways. I promise to work to end the mandatory sequester. 
The mandatory sequester cuts federal dollars from vital programs 
including Medicare, home visiting, the Social Services Block Grant, and 
Safe and Stable families--programs that provide health care for the 
elderly, services for the disabled, and child abuse prevention--to name 
a few.
  Former National Security Advisor Colin Powell once said ``Leadership 
is about solving problems.'' I rise today to commend and support 
Speaker Pelosi on her leadership and problem solving skills to rebuild 
our investment in children and families via this budget agreement. I 
support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.

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