Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the conference report on H.R. 4241.  This will be the third time this year I have voted against an irresponsible Republican budget plan to cut spending on programs important to the poorest Americans in order to pay for a tax cut for the wealthiest.  Frankly, I’m tired of it, and Rhode Islanders are too.  We need to return our budget to balance, but not on the backs of those who can least afford it. 

The Republicans claim this bill is necessary to offset the enormous costs of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, but their actions show the majority’s true motives.  Shortly after H.R. 4241 passed the House in November, Republicans voted for more than $50 billion in tax cuts, much of which benefit the top earners in the country.  These tax cuts cost more than the savings in this bill.    However, these paltry savings will come at a high cost, namely higher costs for health care, education and other important services. 

I urge my colleagues to join me in rejecting this irresponsible conference report and instead focusing on real debt reduction based on fairness and shared sacrifice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.