Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill.

With this bill we are now engaged in the second phase of “The Republican ReCONciliation Game.” That’s exactly what it is—a giant Con Game.

In February, the CON game began with the Republicans’ cutting nearly $40 billion in benefits for the most vulnerable in our society:
• They CUT $12 billion from student loan programs to help kids go to college.

• They CUT $6.4 billion from Medicare and made elderly beneficiaries pay higher premiums for their health care.

• And they CUT $6.9 billion from Medicaid which helps the poorest and sickest children and families in our country get healthcare.

And then they tried to turn to the second part of the Con Game, where the Republicans turn over that money that they got from cutting programs for the poor to the Ways and Means Committee to give all of that money away to their millionaire friends.
 
But in February when they tried for the first time to give this money to millionaires there was a public outcry because people understood that the Republicans were taking from the poor and giving to the rich. So the Republicans had to pull the bill and wait for the public to forget.

So now, three months later, the Republicans are hoping that the American public has forgotten about all of those cuts they made. They are hoping the American public won’t remember that the Republicans cut Medicare and Medicaid and student loans in order to give more to their fat cat friends.

This bill favors the wealthy so dramatically that the average American family making $40,000- $50,000 a year will get $46, which is about enough for one tank of gas.

But if you make over a $1 million a year, you will get about $42,000! That’s enough to buy a luxury Hummer 3 and still have $10,000 left over for the gas!

It is immoral to take medicine away from the poor, elderly and disabled so that millionaires can buy Hummers.

Vote to reject this CON GAME and vote NO on this shortsighted, fiscally irresponsible and immoral legislation.