In Floor Speech, Soto Rejects Republican Deficit-Exploding Budget, Calls on Freedom Caucus Debt Betrayal
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Representative Darren Soto spoke on the House floor yesterday calling on the "Freedom Caucus" and other fiscally-conservative Republicans to reject the tax giveaway for billionaires, which will add $1.5 trillion to the deficit in just the first 10 years. On the House Floor, Rep. Soto reiterated that 7 years of a Republican Congress has added $7 Trillion in national debt, going against the Caucus' promise to eliminate deficit.
"I ask the Freedom Caucus, I ask all those other so-called fiscal conservatives in this Chamber. Where is all your big talk about the debt now? Is your desire to claim a victory worth betraying your deepest principals forever? Because if you all vote for this, the tea party movement is dead, broken beyond any stretch of credibility, and relegated to a laughingstock of history," said Rep. Darren Soto on the House Floor.
The proposed GOP tax plan will use these trillions in added debt to force catastrophic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and essential job-creating investments in hard-working families.
The full script of remarks is available below:
In 2010 "Tea Party" Republicans were swept into office on a passionate plea to eliminate the deficit, to reduce the national debt, to not pass this great fiscal burden onto our children. Upon election they formed the boldly named "Freedom Caucus", the fiscal watchdogs of the House.
At that time in 2010, the national debt was $13 Trillion dollars and they were "deeply concerned about our nation's fiscal situation and recognized the danger it posed to our economic well-being and national security"
And they made a promise: "to do everything in their power to reign in wasteful spending, fraud and abuse and push for tough reforms to ensure we get governments fiscal house in order."
Now here we are in 2017 after nearly 7 years of a Republican controlled Congress, the Chamber under our Constitution charged with originating all spending bills. And now the debt is over $20 Trillion. That's 7 years of a Republican Congress and $7 Trillion in additional debt.
Now we have a tax giveaway for the rich before us that will add another $1.5 Trillion to the National Debt. And one after another of my Republican colleagues have come out in support of it.
So I ask the Freedom Caucus, I ask all those other so-called fiscal conservatives in this Chamber. Where is all your big talk about the debt now? Is your desire to claim a victory worth betraying your deepest principals forever? Because if you all vote for this, the tea party movement is dead, broken beyond any stretch of credibility, and relegated to a laughingstock of history