[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25567]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          RECONCILIATION PLAN

  (Mr. MELANCON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. MELANCON. Madam Speaker, I cannot vote for this reconciliation 
plan for one very simple reason: Now is not the time to be cutting 
taxes for the wealthy in our country when the people of the ravaged 
gulf coast region receive silence and burdensome loans. I join my 
fellow Blue Dogs in opposition to this plan. Do the math: $54 billion 
in spending cuts minus $70 billion in tax cuts equals a $16 billion 
increase in the deficit. We give tax cuts to the rich and continue to 
run up the deficit, but continue to send loans to the people who need 
their government the most in the gulf coast region.
  Our government must do just as President Bush said in Jackson Square, 
whatever it takes to rebuild. I agree with the President on rebuilding. 
But let me be clear. Cutting taxes for the wealthy while loaning money 
to the devastated communities along the gulf coast is the wrong course 
of action. Let us start sending real help to the people in need and 
stop sending millionaires refund checks.

                          ____________________