mr. chairman , i rise in strong opposition to this budget .  the budget should encourage fiscal , personal and social responsibility at the same time it moves us further down the road to making .  opportunity real for people .  in that sense , it should reflect the values and priorities of americans .  but by deepening income inequality and raising the barriers for those working to do better , this budget does neither .  if anything , it reflects priorities that are out of step with ordinary americans .  by calling for $ 1.8 trillion in tax cuts , primarily to the wealthiest americans , the president 's budget compromises both our ability to face our most pressing challenges and strengthen the social safety net that might rescue those living in poverty .  experts estimate that over the next 75 years , the cost of the tax cuts for the top 1 percent of households alone is nearly equivalent to the shortfall in social security -- this at a time when another 1.3 million americans fell into poverty last year .  and with this budget 's cuts to medicaid , job training , veterans health care , and child care will only exacerbate those startling figures .  the decision to eviscerate medicaid by as much as $ 20 billion will leave many low-income families with nowhere to turn for medical care , and many seniors with no way to afford long-term care .  its growth in recent years is simply a reflection of its success in providing care for the thousands of americans who would otherwise have joined the ranks of the uninsured during the economic downturn .  and states are already struggling to keep up .  this year , the governor in my state of connecticut proposed increased co-payments and premiums for families receiving schip .  if the president succeeds in cutting medicaid , there will be no way for states to make up the shortfall .  we can not let medicaid fall victim to its own success .  mr. chairman , the cost of this administration 's poor decisions should not be borne by those least able to afford it .  budgets are moral documents .  they should promote , first and foremost , the common good of the nation .  and turning our backs on that now as this budget does is not only bad policy -- it is immoral .  