Speaker Emerita Pelosi Floor Speech on House Republican Budget Scam

I'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from California, the Speaker Emerita, a powerful leader in the Democratic Caucus, and for the country, Ms. Pelosi. Gentlelady is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his exuberant presentation of opposition to this budget. Thank you for all the amendments you proposed to improve upon it. Sadly, the Republicans didn't accept just one. Here you go again. The last time the Republicans had a majority in the House and Senate and President Trump in the White House, they passed a terrible bill that gave — it was a tax cut for the rich that gave 83 percent of the benefits to the wealthiest people, the top 1 percent in our country, and added $2 trillion to the national debt. This year, they're doubling down on that — $4 trillion to the national debt. And they call that fiscal sanity. And they're doing it by steering taxpayer dollars from Medicaid to give additional tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations. People think of Medicaid sometimes as a poor children's program, and that would be sufficient justification for it at all. But it is a middle-income benefit. People with seniors who need long-term health care need Medicaid. Just listen to your constituents. Hear what they have to say about what it means to their fiscal well-being. Listen to your constituents. The numbers are staggering. By voting for this cruel bill, you are betraying hardworking Americans by raising costs for all those already struggling to make ends meet. The president said he was going to reduce the cost of living. He didn't. Reduce inflation. He didn't. Indeed, a vote for this budget is a vote against Medicaid ripping away health care from children, people with disabilities, and seniors. And it's a vote against SNAP, as the distinguished chairman indicated, taking food out of the mouths of babies. And you do that with glee. While President Trump and congressional Republicans are choosing to protect billionaires — by the way, who benefit from Medicaid, with people cleaning their homes and SNAP. We are led and unified by Hakeem Jeffries, are united in our commitment to work for working families. That is why I urge a no vote on this extreme measure, thank the distinguished chairman for his leadership, and yield back my time.