While Republicans claim this bill is necessary to offset the costs incurred by Hurricane Katrina, their actions do not match their words. Months before Hurricane Katrina struck, Republicans in the House voted for a budget that cut $15 billion more than the bill we are voting on today. The programs the Republicans are attempting to cut, like Medicaid and food stamps, are the very programs that benefit those who have been affected by the hurricanes. Not a single dollar cut in H.R. 4241 will actually go towards offsetting hurricane costs and reducing the deficit. Instead, today’s cuts will fund the upcoming tax cut, but in typical Republican fashion, the spending cuts won’t even cover the entire cost of the tax cuts they have planned.

While I am disappointed that we are voting on this bill at all, I am especially upset by a few specific provisions. First, this budget reconciliation will have a devastating impact on millions of low-income seniors, children, and people with disabilities across the country. This bill proposes billions in cuts to Medicaid, and Rhode Island alone will lose more than $66 million. Ultimately, these cuts are paid for by raising prices for those on Medicaid. Imposing cost-sharing requirements on people who simply can’t afford them will not save money.

Instead, these cuts will result in patients waiting longer to seek care, longer lines in our emergency rooms, and greater burdens on doctors and hospitals, who will struggle to provide for this population. In the end, we will all pay for this mistake in some form. The Medicaid program provides access to health services for more than 51 million Americans – most of whom are among the most vulnerable members of our society. Now is the time to strengthen America's safety net, not weaken it with arbitrary and harmful cuts.

I am also appalled by the message this bill sends to the millions of American students who rely on financial aid and federal student loan programs to gain access to higher education. By cutting spending on student loan programs by more than $10 billion, we are reneging on a commitment to these young Americans. At a time when college costs are rising faster than inflation, the bill proposes the largest cut in the history of the student loan programs.

Food stamps are an important layer of protection to ensure the very poor are able to feed themselves and their families, the most basic necessity. However, today’s bill will reduce food stamp assistance by approximately $800 million over five years, and more than 200,000 people will lose their eligibility.

I am pleased to see that Republicans have removed the provision permitting drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. However, this was not a response to the public’s overwhelming opposition to ruining this pristine wilderness area. Rather, it is a cynical ploy to gain a few votes from Members who would not otherwise vote for this bill.

I have outlined only a few of the many reasons every Member should oppose this legislation. So many of its other cuts would have negative impacts on our communities, such as reduced child support enforcement, which means more than $50 million in lower payments for Rhode Island’s single parents.

If Republicans want a balanced budget, which this bill does not even begin to provide, they should learn from the past and reinstate what works: PAYGO budget rules and responsible tax and spending policies. Together, America can do better. We should be working together to address true priorities, like access to health care and soaring energy prices. I urge my colleagues to reject this travesty and instead focus on meaningful deficit reduction based on fairness and shared sacrifice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.