Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, it is very easy for some Members of Congress to blindly advocate across-the-board cuts to our investments in people. But I join those today to ask my colleagues to open their eyes to what these cuts really mean. They aren't abstract numbers. For the many people living in poverty, they mean lives irreparably damaged and critical opportunities lost.

My home State, the great Hoosier State of Indiana, suffers from an average unemployment rate of 10 percent. Among veterans, that number is higher. And for wounded vets and others with physical limitations, the numbers are staggeringly higher.

As a result of these economic times, Mr. Speaker, more families live in poverty and rely critically on your and my help. Valuable health care, education, housing, and job-training programs are necessary to provide them with the tools for survival.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, when most of our communities are struggling to recover, we must not turn our backs on the people who are trying to overcome extreme poverty.

I ask my colleagues to remember these vulnerable Americans. They're not burdens. They're our children, our working mothers, our police officers, our firefighters, our neighbors, our vets. They are our fellow Americans.