[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         DEBT CEILING CONCERNS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Rhode Island (Mr. Magaziner) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the Republican's 
default on America plan that will hurt Rhode Island's seniors. The MAGA 
Republicans that have taken control of this House have given us a false 
choice.
  Either we go along with their plan for painful cuts for veterans, 
seniors, and children, or they will purposefully wreck the economy by 
defaulting on the debt. This false choice is wrong and we do not need 
to accept it.
  In particular, their plan would enact painful cuts on senior citizens 
in Rhode Island. How?
  By cutting funding to the Social Security Administration so that the 
quarter million elderly and disabled Rhode Islanders who depend on 
Social Security would face longer wait times for their benefits. Also, 
by cutting funding for seniors' nutrition programs like Meals on 
Wheels, housing, and slashing funding for home care, putting the lives 
of seniors at risk.
  This is not about deficit reduction. If this was about deficit 
reduction, my Republican colleagues would be lining up to support 
President Biden's budget, which reduces the deficit by $3 trillion. No. 
This is an extreme agenda that puts working people, in particular 
seniors, in the back seat while doing the bidding of wealthy donors and 
billionaires and corporations.

  We do not need to accept it. People will not stand for it. I will 
fight this default on America plan with everything that I have.

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