mr. chairman , a federal budget is a statement of values . 
it says more about our values that any speeches , any rhetoric , any time . 
sadly , this partisan budget reflects the failed values of fiscal irresponsibility . 
and misplaced priorities . 
it locks in massive deficits for as far as the eye can see , adding hundreds of billions of dollars to a huge national debt that will slow our nation 's economic growth , put social security benefits at risk and bury your children in a sea of red ink for the rest of their lives . 
large deficits and underinvestment in education , research and health care are not prescriptions for a healthy economic future -- they are prescriptions for economic stagnation and decline . 
in my opinion , this budget is immoral . 
it asks the most from those who have the least and asks the least from those who have the most . 
that fails the values test of every major religious faith in our society . 
this budget makes it harder for millions of students to attend college by increasing the gap between college costs vs student financial aid . 
this budget says to veterans , including iraqi war veterans that pensions for disabilities , compensation checks and g.i . 
education benefits will be cut by $ 795 million over five years , thus making a mockery of the american principle of shared sacrifice during time of war . 
14 billion over 5 years . 
i would imagine that budget item wo n't be discussed by supporters of this bill in their veterans day speeches this november . 
this budget says to thousands of seniors who need nursing home care under the medicaid program that you 'll just have to go without that care . 
in my book , that 's not a very respectful way of honoring thy father and mother . 
to the working woman i met yesterday who works hard to help troubled youth in my hometown in texas , this budget says your housing program will be cut , making it more difficult for her to find decent housing on a limited income . 
yet , to the fortunate person who makes one million dollars this year on dividend income , this budget says you can keep every dime of the $ 220 , 000 tax break you have received recently . 
asking seniors , students , veterans and hard-working families to sacrifice so those in the top one-tenth of one percent of income in america can keep all of their recent tax cuts does not pass the fairness test . 
if this is a faith-based initiative , i would like to know on which faith it is based . 
by refusing once again to require tax cuts to be paid for , my house republican colleagues are endorsing the largest deficits in american history for the third year in a row . 
they have preached to us for five years the all gain , no pain budget built on the free lunch philosophy . 
unfortunately , the bill collector is now calling and the deficits caused by that failed philosophy have been financed by the japanese and communist chinese who own tens of billions of our national debt and with it , the ability to wreck our american economy . 
if house republican leaders want to preach fiscal responsibility to individuals by toughening our bankruptcy law , then they had better start practicing what they preach . 
it is ironic that those who are condemning the personal debt of citizens have been the architects of three consecutive years of the largest federal deficits in american history . 
burdening america 's middle class with greater debt and under investing in education and health care for working families is neither fair nor fiscally responsible . 
vote no on this budget . 
we can do much better , and the american people and our children deserve much better . 
