[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 5998]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      POLICY FAILURES OF CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Ms. Fudge) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to talk about the policy 
failures of this body.
  Mr. Speaker, when we look at Baltimore, let me tell you why it is not 
a shock to me. It is because when you disinvest in education, when you 
provide no places for kids to play and no summer jobs, Baltimore 
happens. When you refuse to provide resources for job training for 
decent housing and you have a lack of resources to the communities of 
highest need, Baltimore happens.
  The budget we are working on this week continues to prove that the 
majority of people in this House care little about the plight of the 
poor and underserved communities. There is a lack of concern for 
education.
  I sit on the Education Committee as we are talking about 
reauthorizing ESEA, and the majority passed out of committee the 
ability to block grant all title I funding. So now children who are 
poor, disabled, or minority will be at the mercy of their State to 
determine what kind of education they get. Ohio has one way to do it; 
Indiana has another way to do it. It all depends on what your ZIP Code 
is anymore as to what your educational attainment may be. They, 
further, have reduced Federal funding for education every year of their 
plan.
  I work in a body where the majority wants to block grant Medicaid. So 
State by State they will determine who qualifies, who is sick enough to 
qualify. I work in a body where there is no value placed on our 
greatest asset, which is our people. These are the people who want to 
reduce block grants and community funding and community policing.
  Our communities are crying out every day for our attention. Did what 
happened in Baltimore get our attention? It should have, and it did. 
Was it right? No. Violence is never right. But we have to hear the 
cries of the people in need.
  So today, I want to say to the Gray family and all of the people who 
are in the streets in Baltimore: I apologize. I apologize for a body 
that has failed you. I apologize for people who only give lip service 
to the poor. I apologize because we could do better to make your lives 
better.
  Mr. Speaker, it is our responsibility as the leaders of this Nation 
to take care of the people who need us the most.
  Miss Gray, I apologize.

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