[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 20033]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           REPUBLICAN AGENDA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Ms. Fudge) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, after a year of attempts to eliminate 
Medicare and obstruct any kind of jobs bill, the Republican agenda is 
clear: eliminate the deficit at any cost, including at the expense of 
our most vulnerable, while adversely impacting our economic recovery.
  More than 1.6 million American children were homeless at some point 
in 2010. These are children under the age of 18 living in emergency 
shelters or in shared housing, and many are living on the street. Now, 
in 2011, the number of homeless children continues to increase. There 
are more homeless children today than after the natural disasters of 
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The recession's economic devastation has 
left 1 in 45 children homeless, millions of Americans are out of work, 
and we have pushed unemployment rates to levels not seen in decades.
  We continue to see poverty soar. In 2010, nearly one in six Americans 
was living in poverty. As poverty surged to its highest level since 
1993, median household incomes declined, which is why it is maddening 
to me that we in Congress can't agree or even come to a point where we 
can agree to compromise on policies that will help struggling 
Americans.
  In the 49 weeks since the Republicans took control of this House they 
have failed to pass a single bill to encourage job growth. They pledged 
to focus on economic recovery, but they have failed to deliver. I have 
sponsored four jobs bills in the last 6 months, but none of them has 
been brought up for a vote. What the majority has done is try to 
advance their own political agenda. Their priority is clear: eliminate 
the deficit at any cost on the backs of the most vulnerable.
  This year, Republicans proposed a budget that would privatize 
Medicare and make Medicaid a block grant, sacrificing care for our 
seniors, our sick, and our poor. The Republican budget slashed more 
than $6 trillion--with a ``t''--over the next decade from Medicaid, 
SNAP, Medicare, and many other programs supporting low- and middle-
income Americans. The majority suggests these drastic changes while 
leaving in place tax cuts for the wealthiest and $40 billion in Big Oil 
tax loopholes.
  The majority's budget would devastate poor communities and middle 
class Americans. It pushes seniors into the hands of private insurance 
companies and forces them to pay more out-of-pocket expenses. What we 
need is a bold approach, Mr. Speaker, to maintaining these programs 
rather than finding ways to defund or derail them.
  Almost 6 million workers have been unemployed for a year or more in 
this country, so we know there is a strong need to extend unemployment 
insurance. What we've seen this week makes me skeptical. Here we are at 
the end of one of the most unproductive congressional sessions we've 
had in recent history. In this end of the year drama, Republicans play 
the role of the Grinch who stole Christmas.
  Yesterday, the House passed a bill that slashes unemployment 
insurance by 40 weeks in the States that are hardest hit, including my 
own home State of Ohio. If signed into law, beneficiaries without a 
high school degree would be denied insurance unless they use the 
benefits we're giving them to pay for getting their GED. The bill also 
allows States to force recipients to take drug tests.
  In 2010, unemployment benefits kept 3.2 million Americans--including 
nearly 1 million children--from falling into poverty. I don't even want 
to imagine the magnitude of the problem if we fail to extend 
unemployment insurance now.
  During this holiday season more than ever, Americans feel there is no 
way out. Last week, a woman in Texas, who was originally from the State 
of Ohio, killed herself and shot her two children because they were 
denied SNAP benefits. One of those children has died. Mr. Speaker, this 
is desperation, homelessness at its worst.

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