Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following testimony in front of the House Rules Committee to strongly oppose H.Con.Res. 58, a deeply harmful Republican resolution that would undermine Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare, all while failing to address the rising costs that millions of Americans continue to struggle with under the disastrous leadership of Donald Trump.
“Congressman Griffith, Ranking Member McGovern, and Members of the Committee. Once again, we are not here to debate solutions that lower costs for Americans, tackle the affordable housing crisis, support small businesses, or build a thriving financial system that works for everyone. Instead, Republicans are advancing a resolution that undermines critical programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare, by simply suggesting that these policies that support hardworking Americans lead to despotic, totalitarian government.
The government shutdown demonstrated how important food assistance programs are to 42 million people in America—but this resolution would cast such assistance as so-called ‘socialism.’ It’s crystal clear how President Trump views the Americans who rely so very much on food assistance. After possibly breaking the law to pay masked federal agents as they arrest U.S. citizens, the Administration fought twice in the Supreme Court to avoid having to use legally available funds that would let hungry Americans eat. Instead of working to end the shutdown, the Trump Administration fired an entire office, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund—a critical agency that works with small lenders to offer affordable loans and assistance in rural and struggling communities. Trump’s action was so outrageous that more than 220 lawmakers in Congress, including 102 Republicans rebuked the President. I’m appalled that after witnessing Americans struggle during their 2-month paid vacation, Republicans are gutting even more programs that Americans depend on instead of taking action to lower the cost of living.
And it couldn’t come at a worse time. This past October saw the highest level of job cuts since 2003. Up to 22 million Americans will see their monthly health insurance premiums double, and up to 5 million Americans may become uninsured because Republicans refuse to extend the Obamacare tax credits. And as more than 4 million young people experience homelessness, the Trump Administration is cutting funding that could put 170,000 people back out on the street.
Instead of addressing these issues, House Republicans are trying to scare the American public about so-called ‘socialism.’ Now, everyone here agrees that we should denounce brutal dictators, like Stalin or Pol Pot. But the sponsor seems to have forgotten history’s most terrible dictators like Adolf Hitler. And, why aren’t we denouncing modern day dictators like Vladimir Putin, who has for the last three years terrorized Ukraine and his own people? Why aren’t we denouncing President Xi of China, who runs concentration camps for ethnic minorities? Maybe it’s because Republicans know that President Trump admires both Putin and Xi.
Or, if my Republican colleagues are so concerned about socialism in the U.S., why not denounce the actions we’ve seen in the last year that follow those dictators’ playbook? President Trump has targeted the free press, targeted universities, our fair legal system, forced the Justice Department to prosecute his political opponents, sent masked federal agents and the military into U.S. cities, such as mine, arrested and detained Americans, including children. He’s also demanded the government be given ownership interests in American companies, like Intel. If that’s not socialist, I don’t know what is. And, he has undermined the role of this body, blocking funding that Congress passed into law.
And like other modern-day dictators, the Trump family is finding countless ways to personally benefit—issuing their own stablecoin and other cryptocurrencies even as Congress considers legislation and regulators write the rules. In fact, the Trump family is more than $1 billion richer from crypto alone since taking office. And while Americans struggle to put food on the table, Trump is building a golden ballroom in the White House, sending $40 billion to Argentina, and hosting Great Gatsby-themed parties at Mar-a-Lago.
The resolution does nothing to lower costs in America. So, I urge my colleagues to remove this resolution and instead simply ask a no vote and allow amendments instead of passing a closed rule. I yield back.”
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