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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2019
______
speech of
HON. DANNY K. DAVIS
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I support the Bipartisan
Budget Caps and Debt Limit Deal as an important step to protect
Americans and our economy. This agreement secures an additional $100
billion for crucial services to promote the well-being of our residents
while rejecting the offsets proposed by the current Administration.
This agreement permanently ends the harmful cuts to non-defense
programs that support the health, housing, education, child care, and
security of Americans via the discretionary sequester. It allows
continued investment in veterans, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, environmental sustainability, the National Institutes of
Health, and the fight against drug addiction sweeping the nation,
including my state of Illinois. This agreement also protects the full-
faith and credit of our government by raising the country's debt limit.
As we know, the debt limit was reinstated to $22 Trillion on March 2,
2019, imposing a legal limitation on the government's ability to issue
debt and pay many federal obligations that directly impact the American
people. A suspension of the debt limit until July 31, 2020 is a
critical win for the Democratic Leadership that protects our national
economy.
The sequester and restrictive appropriations under Republicans have
eroded federal support for programs that help children and families in
this nation and internationally, cutting domestic and international
programs by 4.6 percent between FY2010 to FY2019 after inflation.
Constituents in my District have felt these cuts, and this deal helps
rebuild these important services. In my district with a population of
approximately 703,000 residents, 30.8 percent of children live in
poverty and 15 percent live in extreme poverty, 25 percent of taxfilers
are low-income working parents, and 18.7 percent of adults in my
District over 18 have income below the poverty level. These Chicagoans
rely on an array of programs to work and care for their families.
According to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics,
in 2016, my district alone had a veteran population of over 41,978
people. These returning heroes and public servants deserve a government
that serves them and assists with resources so that they can live the
American dream.
This is not a perfect agreement, but it moves our country forward in
very important ways. I promise to work to end the mandatory sequester.
The mandatory sequester cuts federal dollars from vital programs
including Medicare, home visiting, the Social Services Block Grant, and
Safe and Stable families--programs that provide health care for the
elderly, services for the disabled, and child abuse prevention--to name
a few.
Former National Security Advisor Colin Powell once said ``Leadership
is about solving problems.'' I rise today to commend and support
Speaker Pelosi on her leadership and problem solving skills to rebuild
our investment in children and families via this budget agreement. I
support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.
____________________
