WASHINGTON— Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn today delivered remarks on the House floor in opposition to the Ryan budget and in support of the Democratic alternative. Following are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Ryan budget.
“The Ryan budget ignores the expressed will of the American people and doubles down on the ‘you’re on your own’ Republican platform that the voters soundly rejected just a few short months ago. Rather than taking a fair and balanced approach to deficit reduction, the Ryan budget will kill millions of jobs, slash needed investments, raise taxes on working families and create big new tax breaks for the wealthiest few.
“The Ryan budget will block grant Medicaid, voucherize Medicare and rip up the safety net that’s at the heart of the social contract in this country. There are many words that can be used to describe the Ryan budget, but the one word that does NOT describe the Ryan budget is ‘balanced.’
“I’m pleased the Democratic alternative and the CBC budget both include versions of a proposal I have worked on for several years called the 10-20-30 plan. The purpose of 10-20-30 is to target federal funds to communities that have experienced persistent poverty. Specifically, this proposal targets 10 percent of funding to neglected communities where 20 percent of the population has lived in poverty for 30 years or more
“The 10-20-30 plan was originally signed into law as a part of the Recovery Act. The Recovery Act’s 10-20-30 provision has proven successful in steering needed rural development funds into neglected communities for water and sewer and economic development projects. It’s time to build on this success and expand 10-20-30.
“I am also pleased that all of the Democratic budget substitutes reject the austerity-for-working-families plan that the Republicans are proposing. Democrats will honor our commitment to senior citizens and invest in a brighter future. The Van Hollen budget alternative will create jobs now, and that’s the tried and true way to achieve deficit reduction.”
Click here to watch the video of the Floor Statement.