[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3409]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               OUR COUNTRY NEEDS A BALANCED PATH FORWARD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Ben Ray Lujan) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, the House Republican 
budget unveiled yesterday by Chairman Paul Ryan is a repeat of the same 
Tea Party principles that have already been rejected by the American 
people.
  House Republicans are once again determined to place the burden of 
deficit reduction on the backs of middle class families, while the 
wealthiest Americans get yet another tax break. After wasting valuable 
time last Congress voting more than 30 times to repeal health care 
reform rather than focus on jobs and the economy, the Republican budget 
again calls for its repeal.
  In addition, their budget ends Medicare as we know it, and surprise, 
surprise, turns it into a voucher program that reduces benefits and 
leaves seniors paying higher out-of-pocket costs.
  While this budget blueprint is still lacking specific details, it is 
clear that in order to meet the spending targets it outlines, House 
Republicans would slash investments in key areas that are essential to 
economic growth and job creation. Education, job training, science, and 
research will all be on the chopping block in order to reduce the 
deficit, with little regard for the jobs that would be lost and the 
impact it would have on our Nation's competitiveness. The Republican 
budget factors in the sequestration's arbitrary cuts over the next 
decade, something else that is being rejected by the American people.
  For New Mexico, this can mean more cuts to education targeted at low-
income and special needs children; painful cuts to tribal communities 
that jeopardize our responsibilities to Indian country with our trust 
responsibilities; and cuts that impact funding for Los Alamos National 
Lab and the small businesses that contract with it, including cuts to 
important funding for environmental cleanup at LANL.
  Regardless of the Republican rhetoric, the math just doesn't add up 
without steep cuts that will take their toll on New Mexico, threatening 
services that support the most vulnerable and investments that lay the 
foundation for a brighter future.
  Our country needs a balanced path forward that focuses on growing the 
economy and providing opportunities for the middle class families. 
Sadly, the Republican budget fails to meet this goal.

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