[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3412]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              RYAN BUDGET

  (Ms. TSONGAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, as a former member of the House Budget 
Committee, I understand well the challenges of budgeting for our 
Nation's future. Unfortunately, the budget introduced by House 
Republicans this week fails at its most fundamental tasks: protecting 
the middle class and laying the groundwork for strong economic growth.
  As it has for the last 2 years, the Ryan budget once again makes deep 
cuts to Medicare, as it also repeals a host of Federal measures making 
health insurance affordable for middle class families. It replaces the 
security of Medicare with a voucher that will lose its value over 
time--driving many middle class seniors into poverty--and makes deep 
cuts to education, transportation and infrastructure, and public health 
and safety, gutting society's basic functions without which businesses 
can't find educated workers, move their products to market, or operate 
safely.
  Voters roundly rejected this approach only a few months ago. I call 
on my colleagues to reject this budget and join me in supporting a 
balanced approach to deficit reduction.

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