Rep. Becerra Praises Fiscally Responsible 2009 House Budget

Statement

Rep. Becerra Praises Fiscally Responsible 2009 House Budget

Right now, the House Budget Committee is debating the 2009 budget resolution that rejects President Bush's proposed cuts to health, environmental and public safety programs, while adhering to pay-as-you-go budget rules.

Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Assistant to the Speaker of the House, the only congressional member from Southern California on the Ways and Means Committee and a member of the Budget Committee, issued the following statement in support of the committee's mark-up:

"The American economy is struggling and America's working families are hurting. The Bush Administration's economic policies - tax breaks for the wealthy, subsidies to big oil, coupled with cuts to education and health care - have given us record-high deficits and the weakest economic expansion in half a century.

"For the past seven years, job growth has failed to keep up with our growth in population, as the real median income has declined nearly $1,000 per family. Meanwhile, a shocking 36 million Americans now live in poverty - an increase of 4.9 million since the year 2000.

"Today's budget resolution confronts these serious challenges to our nation's economy in a fiscally responsible way. We start by rejecting the president's deep cuts to law enforcement, education, Medicare and Medicaid - essential programs in these troubled economic times. Instead, we invest in education and job training, efficient and renewable energy programs, and infrastructure, while accommodating middle class tax relief. And unlike the president's budget, ours returns to balance by 2012.

"I'm proud of the work of this committee, and I look forward to passing this important investment in America's economy when we vote on it later tonight."

Source