Press Release

In order to achieve a big and balanced deficit reduction package, we must build a broad consensus. The budget substitute offered tonight by Reps. Jim Cooper and Steve LaTourette came to the Floor before that broad consensus could be achieved, which is why I voted against it. However, we must continue working to achieve a big and balanced deficit reduction solution in order to set our country back on a sustainable fiscal path.  I continue to believe that the Bowles-Simpson model should be a basis for ongoing discussions in the effort to create the needed consensus.

Today’s introduction of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act is an important step forward in our continuing effort to prevent domestic violence and protect victims.  I was proud to cosponsor the original Violence Against Women Act we passed in 1994, and I commend Rep. Gwen Moore for introducing this measure to reauthorize and expand upon that landmark legislation.  Her bill will improve counseling and legal services for victims, provide additional tools to law enforcement to investigate domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, and extend additional health and safety resources to more of those affected. A similar measure has bipartisan support in the Senate.  This comes at a critical time when many of the freedoms and legal protections for women have been under attack.  As a nation, we must recommit ourselves to reducing – and eventually stamping out – violence against women and to improving the way we help its victims heal, seek justice, and move forward.

They have offered a budget that is somewhat a reprise of last year's. It savages Medicare, turns the guarantee into a higher cost, problematic benefit. We don't think that's what the American people want. Secondly, it makes again the tax disparities between our people even greater. It shifts resources from the middle class and poor to the wealthiest in America. It gives $150,000 additional tax cut to millionaires and doesn't say how you're going to pay for that, $10 trillion in additional tax cuts, which clearly means you're going to explode the deficit even more. They pretend they will cut out preference items. They also in that process severely undermine investments in our future, investments in education, investments in research, investments in growing jobs, investments in infrastructure. Clearly, with the result of diminishing the quality of our society in the long run, and don't get to balance.

After seeing the disastrous Republican budget put forward last week, which would end the Medicare guarantee and increase costs for seniors, destroy jobs, and cut taxes for the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, Americans want a budget that works for all of us. The Democratic budget proposal does just that by preserving the Medicare guarantee, investing in a strong economy, taking a balanced approach to setting us on a sustainable fiscal path, and asking everyone to pitch in toward investing in America's future. It is the right budget to meet the challenges we face.

Today marks the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, a law that is already delivering greater access to high quality care, stronger patient protections, and more predictable health care costs to American families and businesses – all while reducing the deficit.  Today, insurance companies can no longer discriminate against children with pre-existing conditions – a protection that will extend to all Americans by 2014.  They can no longer impose arbitrary caps on coverage, charge women higher premiums than men for the exact same policies, or drop people from their plans when they get sick.  Medicare beneficiaries now pay less for their drugs and nothing for their preventive care, and their premiums have either held steady or outright declined.

Two years ago today, the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. It was a major step forward in our efforts to provide access to affordable health care to more Americans. Today, millions of Americans are already seeing the benefits.

Today’s announcement by the President of an expedited review process for the southern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline builds on the ‘all-of-the-above’ strategy for energy savings his Administration has pursued.  Since the President was sworn into office, domestic production of oil and natural gas has increased, while the importation of foreign oil has fallen to less than half of what we consume.  During the same period, 75,000 jobs have been created in the oil and gas sector.

“The tragic killing of 17-year old Trayvon Martin warrants a thorough investigation, and I commend the Justice Department and Attorney General Eric Holder for opening an investigation into his homicide. Americans from all walks of life are rightly appalled by his tragic death. Trayvon deserves justice, and his family and his community deserve answers. It is my hope that the Justice Department’s investigation will provide those answers and that appropriate action will be taken to punish any wrongdoing to the fullest extent of the law.