Clothing, and also those who may be off work now because of the disaster. So we dont have a budget. Were not moving along to ensure that fema that has seen a lot of disasters over the last two years has the necessary funding to to to to do their job. That is a broken moral compass. It also reflects the constitution because we are old and owed an equal treatment under the law and due process under the fifth amendment. Theres no due process, when i hear that one area is under water and were not able to get help. Let me also say that as i watch a broken moral system, i also look at the predicament that we will be in with the zika virus. My colleague, mr. Jeffries, mentioned the open yoid crisis and the the Opioid Crisis and the water crisis in flint and around the nation and the hard work done by members in michigan and mr. Kildee. They need a budget to be able to fund the crisis, or to help repair the crisis, restoretive dollars that a budget does to give a road map to the appropriators. I also know that we are facing another potential epidemic, if you will, the zika virus that is taking control of places like puerto rico and other places in the caribbean, places that we have not yet fully documented. I can assure you the gulf coast states of florida, louisiana, and others, and texas, are in the eye of the storm. The president , a couple of and s ago, dutifully responsibly introduced to this congress a request of 1. 9 billion. No i didnt say trillion. I didnt say 5 billion. I said 1. 9 billion. So the centers for Disease Control can do their job. Mr. Jeffries, colleagues, if we are not doing our job, we need those who have the responsibility, the distinctive responsibility for issues of health and epidemics in this country to be able to do their job. We have now been told by the centers for Disease Control that it is not just in the prestages of pregnancy that zika virus can have a se zero impact. It is throughout the pregnancy. We also know they have just determined it will be severe brain damage that will come about. So how irresponsible can it be to not put forward the emergency supplemental of 1. 9 billion . I sent letters to secretary burwell, sent letters to obviously the president of the United States supporting his effort. But aye sent letters to our leader, nancy pelosi, who has been a champion on these issues of zika funding and ive sent letters, or a letter to speaker paul ryan. Might i speak to the speaker and certainly ask that a halfbaked, if i might say, contribution to fighting the zika virus is not going to work because any taking of moneys from other places is going to damage the funding of malaria, tuberculosis and the universal flu vaccine and yes it is going to undermine our needed and continued effort of fighting ebola. Let me finish by simply saying this. Along with the idea of the zika virus and other crisis, when we hear headlines like this, that indicate Americans Still dont see a vibrant labor market, then you know what else is needed under this budget . We need a budget to be able to fully fund retraining of americans. Ive introduced legislation that would train middle age or middle management workers and others and give them a stipend while theyre being retrained for the 21st century job. We cannot do that with a budget not passed and an assessment not being made on how we would fund job training. Last week, the Supreme Court heard lastly, the Supreme Court heard a case today dealing with issues of executive orders and immigration. I would argue that texas and the other states did not have standing because theyre not required to give drirse licenses or anything else as the president provides a prioritization of who should be deported. But i will say to you that over the year, we have said over and over again to pass comprehensive Immigration Reform which could have been a key element of a budget revenue to be able to help this country move along. Without a budget and a discussion, an intelligent discussion about what comprehensive Immigration Reform would do as an added revenue for this country, here we are, mumbling along while houston remains under water, needed resources from fema, while the zika virus is in distress with no moneys and while a number of other important issues are. So mr. Jeffries, i thank you for allowing me to spend a moment to at least tie in the bill of rights that deal with very core values of this country and we have let down that basic document that guarantees equal protection, guarantees a certain freedom to be protected, guarantees that americans have due process, you will, and certainly guarantees the freedom of expression so that americans can speak and be heard. They are speak but theyre not being heard. What a shame that this budget has not been passed. I amrateful to the Congressional Black Caucus, let me acknowledge the chairman and say, let us keep our fight going because we have reason to provide that kind of comfort to the American People. With that, i yield back my time. Mr. Jeffries i thank the distinguished gentlelady from texas, you raise several important point, one thing thats struck me in my time here in congress is that under republican reign weve consistently seen government by crisis on one issue after the next. From the group of people that spend so much time messaging the point to the American People that they believe in fiscal responsibility, where is the fiscal responsibility in failing to put forth a budget consistent with the law that you supported . The other thing that amazes me, and the gentlelady from texas raised the point about the Supreme Court case that was argued earlier today on the immigration executive order issued by the president , i sit on the Judiciary Committee along with the honorable Sheila Jackson lee and we hear almost every week about how lawless this president allegedly has been in terms of his time in office. Its interesting to hear consistently lectures about how lawless this president has been from people who believe that president barack obama exceeded his authority on january 20 of 2009, the moment that he took the oath of office because they are folks who still cannot believe that this man is the president and leader of the free world. I never buy that lawlessness argument. But this is a group that supports essentially undermining the constitution over in the other house of this congress, president has done his job in putting forth the Supreme Court nominee who is clearly qualified, not according to members of the Congressional Black Caucus, according to orrin hatch himself. One of the leading members of the senate Judiciary Committee amongst others. The lawlessness is not taking place at 1600 pennsylvania avenue, its taking place right here in the United States congress under the leadership of house and senate republicans. Certainly. They could not muster the votes of the majority and they could not muster them even though their budget ended medicare, it took 6. 5 trillion in cuts from overall budget. Ms. Jackson lee it devastates good paying jobs, education, american infrastructure and again it repealed the Affordable Care act and dismantled the Affordable Care act for 20 Million People. Even with those poison pills, to draw in support for some kind of budget that would fit within the law, their responsibility, or the responsibility of this congress, theyre in the majority, they could not pass or get on the floor a budget. Clearly the compass is broken, the moral compass is broken, but more importantly it denies equal protection under the law in my interpretation of millions of americans depending on congress doing its job. I appreciate the gentleman. Mr. Jeffries i appreciate those thoughtful observations. We want to bring representative bobby scott and representative Stacey Plaskett into this conversation in terms of the stunning inability to present a budget and as representative jackson lee said, what else is there to do in terms of satisfying the extreme elements of your party . Privatize Social Security and throw all the people out of their home across the country . What else can you do . Were going to explore some of these draconian cuts that were in a budget that apparently is not exdream enough, but let me yield to my good friend and colleague the representative from the Virgin Islands, by way of brooklyn, new york, i point out and were so thankful for your presence here in the congress and its my honor to yield to you. Ms. Plaskett thank you so much, congressman jeffries. Thank you so much to the Congressional Black Caucus for giving us this opportunity to always be the conscience of this congress. I want to thank you for your tireless efforts to raise awareness on not just the committee on the judiciary but all of the work you do and this group coming together this evening to talk about the fact that once again the republicans have created a road to ruin in their budget failure. We talk about the fact that this Republican Congress has blue past the statutory deadline to enact a budget, reflecting the belief of leadership that their already severe Budget Proposal was not radical enough to pass through this republican majority. You talked about draconian measures already in the budget they proposed which seems to have not been sufficient enough for their caucus. At the direction of the house g. O. P. Leadership, the Budget Committee put forth one of the most devastating budgets in history and the majority rejected that plan as insufficient, which can only lead us to believe that it did not, was not even severe enough for them. Some of the things that were in that budget were an end to medicare guarantee for seniors, mick 6. 5 trillion in cuts, the sharpest cuts ever pr posed by the house Budget Committee, devastate investment in good paying jobs, education, and american infrastructure, repeal of the Affordable Care act and dismantling the Affordable Health care of 20 million americans. Now, as expressed by the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. Beatty, in february, the administration, our president , requested support for americans through the budget that he submitted to this congress. Provided for support for education, job training support, bolstering our obligation to seniors, real tools for growth for the territories, in puerto rico, the Virgin Islands and others by inclusion in the Affordable Health care act and expansion of medicare. But it seems that the republicans have failed their promise to pass a budget. Never mind even listen to or hear our o. M. B. Officer, the o. M. B. , head of o. M. B. On that budget. Their goal is still clear. To take us back to radical trickle down agenda that shattered our economy in the past and hollowed out the wages of middle class americans. At that same time, House Republicans have done nothing to help the thousands of americans struggling to protect their families from the three Public Health crises you spoke to, zika, the opiod addictions and the flint water crisis. In the Virgin Islands, puerto rico, florida, now even texas, this is a real crisis concerning the zika virus. Last week democrats on the Appropriations Committee wrote to harem rodgers requesting an immediate hearing on the administrations 1. 9 billion emergency supplemental request for zika, pointing out that, quote, the zika virus is a true Public Health emergency that has the potential to affect millions of americans this summer including more than two million pregnant women. What did that committee do . Absolutely nothing. Not even the respect of a hearing. They have not responded to nothing but inaction and indifference. Instead of taking action to pass a budget or address urgent Public Health crises, the House Republicans are now wasting a full week grandstanding on the i. R. S. Thats just the kind of hollow, meaningless posturing the American People have come to expect from this congress. Hardworking families deserve a congress that invests in their future, protects their safety, creates a level Playing Field for them and their children to succeed. Democrats will continue to press for a budget that creates jobs, raises the paycheck and creates opportunities for the American People, while reducing the deficit in a balanced and responsible way. I yield back to you and look forward to hearing the rest of my colleagues, their thoughts on this budget process, and even possibly solutions for us as American People, to come away with a clear budget that creates growth and opportunities for americans. Thank you. Mr. Jeffries thank you, representative plaskett. You raised several important points up. Noted points. You noted that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle continue to embrace this notion of trickledown economics, which is sort of the foundation of many of the slash and burn cuts that are contained in at least the budget document that has been passed in prior years and the document that was put forth by the Budget Committee this year. This belief that if you lower the tax rate for millionaires and billionaires, that it will result in some residual benefit to the American People. But theres an irony in the embracing even of that term, trickledown economics. With the leadership of representative bobby scott and others, the c. B. C. Has consistently put forth a budget designed to open the flood gates of prosperity for working class americans and middle class folks all throughout this country. What the republicans want to do trickledown economics. The only thing you get with that philosophy. You may get a trickle but youre guaranteed to stay down. So were thankful that representative scott for so many years has consistently put forth through his leadership a budget from the Congressional Black Caucus designed to be oth fiscally responsible and consistent with our ideals as a country that looks out for the least of those amongst us. Let me now yield to the distinguished representative from the great state of virginia, actually, let me amend that, the commonwealth of virginia, representative bobby scott. Mr. Scott thank you, madam speaker, and i thank the gentleman for getting the title of our state correct. I thank the gentleman from new york and the gentlelady from ohio for yielding time and organizing tonights special order. Last week the house of to pass tives failed a budget by the statter toly mandated date of april 15. This failure is unfortunate for our budget process, but perhaps not unfortunate for the American People, because no budget is better than the proposed republican budget that would have been brought to the floor. Our nations budget reflects priorities, but the republican budget only highlights the wrong priorities. The budget the House Republicans wanted to bring to the floor would be even more devastating to students, working families and seniors than their previous proposals. The republican budget would end the medicare guarantee for seniors by converting medicare into a voucher payment that would not keep pace with medical inflation. Shifting billions of dollars in medical costs onto our senior citizens. The republican budget would repeal the Affordable Care act, the health opardize insurance for millions of americans, even though the budget assumes all of the revenue collected by the Affordable Care act to pay for the Affordable Care act, all of those taxes remain in the budget. The republican budget includes a total of 6. 5 trillion in spending cuts, largely unspecified, if this level of cuts were ever made, it would devastate our investments in jobs, education, research and would see essentially eliminate and would essentially eliminate any new transportation projects. On top of these devastating cuts to vital programs that support and uplift hardworking american families, the republican budget calls for trillions of dollars in tax cuts that would primarily benefit millionaires and billionaires. Then they claim the tax cuts would be revenueneutral. Suggesting that were to believe that trillions of dollars in new taxes would be imposed to pay for those tax cuts for the wealthy. Despite this, the republican budget is not a credible plan. Are we really going to dismantle medicare . Are we really going to cut hundreds of millions of dollars out of education and job training and transportation . And are we really going to raise trillions of dollars in new taxes to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy . I dont think so. But the house leadership couldnt even secure enough votes for this Budget Proposal, because a faction of their conference wanted even deeper unrealistic spending cuts. Budgeting is about making tough choices and the only choice the republicans seem to have made with the Budget Proposal is we can only balance the budget on the ba