[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17355-17356]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   WE NEED A FAIR AND BALANCED BUDGET

  (Ms. LEE of California asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, many of our constituents are 
still recovering from the reckless Tea Party government shutdown. Now 
it is time to do our job and pass a budget, help grow the economy, and 
create jobs. Budgets are statements of our values and priorities as a 
Nation.
  Our top priority in passing a budget must be to end the harmful, 
across-the-board budget cuts known as the sequester. We must extend 
emergency unemployment compensation which millions of jobless workers 
and families rely on. This will end at the end of December if we don't 
do this.
  Although our economy has improved, there are still 4 million people 
in this country that have been unemployed for 6 months or more. These 
same individuals have already experienced reductions in their benefits 
due to sequestration and automatic SNAP--food stamp--cuts as of 
November 1.
  Tea Party Republicans have refused to create jobs, they have cut job 
training, and now they are ready to pull the plug on this vital 
lifeline. This is morally wrong and economically stupid.

[[Page 17356]]

  I urge the budget conferees to extend the Emergency Unemployment 
Compensation program for at least an additional year and to repeal the 
sequester. We need a fair and balanced budget that reflects our values.

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