Congresswoman Barbara Lee Votes ‘No’ on Budget Deal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2013
Contact: Carrie Adams (202) 225-2661
“Over 170 Democrats have joined my letter calling for an extension of this critical life line [of unemployment insurance]. It is really shameful that Republicans have refused to include an extension of unemployment benefits. The least we can do for the millions of long-term unemployed who are struggling just to get by during this holiday season is to pass this three-month extension.
“This budget does nothing for the millions of jobless people and asks nothing from the people who caused our economic crisis and continue to benefit from economic inequality. Please remember, this is not about showboating or statistics; we are talking about people's lives. We are talking about people living on the edge.
“We are talking about 1.3 million people who will lose unemployment benefits during this holiday season. It is cruel. It is morally wrong, and it is economically stupid.
“Finally let me just say we must do better; we must protect and expand the safety net that are the pillars of our society.”
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Follow Barbara Lee on Facebook and Twitter at @RepBarbaraLee. To learn more, visit lee.house.gov.
Congresswoman Lee is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, the Steering and Policy Committee, is a Senior Democratic Whip, former chair of both the Congressional Black Caucus and Progressive Caucus. She serves as chair of the newly formed Whip’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity.