| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – During debate on the Fiscal Year 2004 Budget, U.S. Representative
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) said that President Bush and Republicans in Congress
are demanding sacrifice from veterans, seniors, working families to pay
for more tax breaks for millionaires. (Learn
More About Harmful Cuts in Republican Budget and Alternatives Offered By
Democrats)
“In
his speech to the nation on Monday, the President said, ‘War has no certainty
but the certainty of sacrifice.’ And many in our country are sacrificing.
That list begins with the hundreds of thousands of brave young men and
women, who, as we speak, are putting their very lives on the line in Iraq
out of a sense of duty to their country,” Schakowsky said during debate
on FY’04 Budget.
Schakowsky
added, “But there is one small group of Americans who are not only not
being asked to sacrifice, but get huge new benefits. That would be the
millionaires, the richest of the rich, who get most of the $1.4 trillion
dollars tax cut in this Republican budget. Warren Buffet, who opposes
tax cuts, would get $300 Million just from eliminating stock dividend taxes.”
“Sacrifice,”
Schakowsky continued, “it seems, is only for the little people:
•
The children sacrifice: headstart - cut, Health Insurance, college
loans, school lunch programs – cut.
•
Veterans must further sacrifice. Just imagine – veterans! Disability,
education and health care benefits - cut.
•
Seniors: Cuts in Medicaid for nursing home care and forget a meaningful
prescription drug benefit under Medicare. Not enough money in the
Republican budget.
•
Homeland security, for crying out loud. A pathetic 0.8% increase
even when we are at Orange Alert and even though only 2% of containers
are inspected at ports.
“The
country is hurting from a struggling economy and war. The Republican
budget shamefully pours salt in the wound,” Schakowsky concluded. |
