Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–April 14, 2011. Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. today voted against HR 1473, a bill providing funding for the last five-and-half months of FY 2011.
“The first thing to correct an economic downturn with severe unemployment is to grow the economy by pumping money into it. The last thing is to take almost $39 billion out of that economy while continuing to provide $690 billion in tax cuts for the top 2 percent of earners who will not grow the economy or create jobs.
“Over the last 30 years, voodoo economic, supply-side, trickle down tax cuts have yet to prove they can create economic growth, much less jobs, yet Republicans continue to double down on this theory and the 25 million unemployed and underemployed Americans continue to pay that ill advised wager.
“While I am pleased that the federal government did not shut down, and that scores of accounts were spared the chopping block, I am upset that HR 1473 keeps the government open on the backs of the poor and the unemployed.”
Among some of HR 1473 most egregious provisions:
- Cuts $600 million for Community Health Centers negating the ability to provide basic health care services to over 5 million of our most vulnerable Americans this year, seriously undermine the ability of health centers to provide services to 40 million people by 2015.
- Eliminates $2.5 billion for High Speed Rail, a vital transportation and infrastructure program that would put people to work, lower traffic congestion and improve the environment.
- Cuts $26.6 million from the TRIO higher education program, which would deny nearly 100,000 young people and unemployed adults the information they need to prepare to succeed in college or postsecondary training, and to make informed choices about what college to attend and how much financial aid to accept.
- Allows Congress to continue a “colonial mentality” regarding the District of Columbia by not allowing the more than 500,000 D.C. residents to spend their own funds on health care for women and forces an education voucher program on D.C. residents at the expense of public schools.
“Moody’s economist Mark Zandi projected 700,000 job would be lost if we cut $60 billion from the FY 2011 budget by enacting HR 1. I wonder how many jobs will be lost with almost $39 billion in cuts.”
Source: jackson.house.gov
