Pelosi Statement on House Debate on the Budget
Pelosi Statement on House Debate on the Budget
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Contact:Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami, 202-226-7616
Washington, D.C. â€" Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today as the House began debate today on the budget:
"Tomorrow, the House will pass a budget that is a blueprint for economic recovery and new jobs nowâ€"and sustainable economic growth and prosperity for years to come. For the first time in years, America will have a budget that: cuts the deficit by nearly two-thirds; cuts taxes for middle class Americans; creates and saves American jobs with investments in health care, clean energy, and education; and reduces spending to its lowest level as a percent of the economy in half a century. That is why nearly two-thirds of Americans support President Obama’s priorities, which are at the heart of our budget blueprint.
"Americans understand that we cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past eight years. Yet House Republicans are proposing more of the same Bush policies that drove our nation into recession, deficits, and debt, and led to the worst eight years of job creation in three-quarters of a century. The Republican budget proposal would give bigger tax breaks to the richest Americans than even President Bush doled out, produce continued high deficits, and weaken Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
"Republicans would halt our economic recovery in its tracks, repealing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in their budget, which is creating and saving jobs across the country.
"By passing our budget that reflects President Obama’s priorities, Congress will once again turn our nation toward the future and launch a new era for America: a new prosperity built on the time-honored American values of hard work, accountability, sacrifice, and concern for our neighbors. I look forward to the beginning of our floor debate this evening, passing the budget tomorrow, and working with the Senate to finalize the budget resolution soon."