Congressman Davis' Floor Comments on Democratic Unity in Opposition to President Bush's Budget Cuts

CONGRESSMAN DAVIS' FLOOR COMMENTS ON DEMOCRATIC UNITY IN OPPOSITION TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S BUDGET CUTS

April 28, 2005

Mr. Speaker, a minute is not a long time, but I want to spend it thanking the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) for building the unanimity on this side of the House. I make that observation because, frankly, this is only the second time on a major vote this year that this side of the House will have been united, and that is in large tribute to the gentleman's good work.

But it speaks to something else: To everyone in this caucus, to everyone in every corner of America who styles himself or herself as a progressive, if you want to know if Democrats still stand together, if you want to know if we still have common ground, I submit that you see it in the debate over this budget. The common ground that we occupy is in defense of 46,000 families in Mississippi who have been cut from the Medicaid rolls; 300,000 families in Tennessee who have been cut from the Medicaid rolls; 13.5 million children in this country who live below the poverty line who cannot stand to see subsistence programs cut further; millions of veterans who cannot stand to see their premiums rise; and it is a common ground for everyone who believes in a more generous, more responsible, more inclusive America.

So I thank the gentleman for building that unanimity, and I hope it stand for the whole country to see. As it is so often said by the leader on the other side, there are profound differences between these two parties. We stand for a fairer country. They stand for a narrower country and a narrower vision, and I hope the people will take note of that.