Discussion · Senate
Tim Kaine Democrat
“I want the Senate to pass this bill. Only Congress has the constitutional power to spend government money, and the President is breaking the law by withholding $800 million we approved. He says he wants to save money, but he spends it on television ads, ballrooms, and an illegal war instead. At the same time, he is cutting $56 million from a program that helps families buy homes.”
“Madam President, I rise with my colleagues. I appreciate the Senator from Oregon and the UC he will seek in a few minutes about a very important bill to reclaim congressional authority over appropriations. I think both Senators Merkley and Murray have done a good job of laying out the law that appropriations are an article I power for Congress and the Impoundment Control Act requires that, once appropriated in a budget that the President signs, the dollars have to be spent. And so they have done a great job with the law, and the President with these pocket rescissions is violating the law. Since they have talked about the law, I want to talk about priorities. I want to talk about priorities and what this move of the President shows about his priorities. When the news was announced that he was going to cancel $800 million of appropriated funding in a budget that he had signed, he and some others said they are trying to shrink government or make government more efficient. Folks, that is a joke. That is a laugh line. You heard my colleague from New Hampshire talking about spending money on ballrooms, on arches, on trying to put his name on buildings. He is not trying to shrink anything. You see news in the last couple of days about President Trump stealing money from the Department of Homeland Security to run ``Love Me’’ ads on television because he is so insecure about his low popularity. Can I take money that is supposed to be going to protecting America’s border and turn it into ``Love Me,’’ ``Love Me,’’ ``Love Me’’ ads on television? He is not trying to shrink anything. In fact, the White House is here trying to get us to agree to a 40-percent increase in the Pentagon’s budget in the middle of an illegal war so he can continue to, as he says, restart bombing after the midterms. Can I just ask this question: Has any President ever publicly put ``midterms’’ and ``bombing’’ in the same sentence? I am likely to restart bombing after the midterms. Who has that thought much less says it publicly? So the President who is cutting the $800 million is seeking more money for an illegal war, is running ads about himself on television, is trying to build ballrooms and arches and put his name on buildings--this is about priorities. Can I tell you about just one of these items that the President is proposing to cut in the $800 million? It has been alluded to by my colleagues. The $800 million in funding includes, in the midst of a housing crisis, when all of our constituents are talking to us about housing affordability--the Trump administration wants to cut $56 million to the HUD Housing Counseling Program, which aims to expand and preserve home ownership opportunities in every ZIP Code in America. Now, this funding in Virginia enables nonprofit organizations in my Commonwealth and around the country to offer essential financial and support services for families looking to access the American dream of home ownership. One of my providers in Virginia reports they have helped--using these funds--they have helped over 1,000 families in the past 2 years achieve the American dream of owning a home, and a large factor that has contributed to their success has been these funds that President Trump wants to cut. With the funding, they have helped families build basic financial knowledge and the skills they need to become successful homeowners. In other cases, they work with families for a year or more to help them repair their credit and pay down their debt and save for downpayments, which helps them afford to buy a home. The long-term support has helped bridge the gap for families to find a home and ensure they are able to become successful and sustainable homeowners. So the Trump administration’s decision to cancel that funding when they are seeking money for ads or ballrooms or arches or names on buildings or illegal wars is directly affecting our constituents in their effort to have a piece of the American dream. Everything my colleagues have said about the law is correct. This violates article I of the Constitution. It violates the Impoundment Control Act. It goes against the promise that the President made when he signed the budget, that he would implement it. But the thing that makes me the maddest and the reason I am so excited to be here to support my colleague is, to cut programs that help Americans afford homes to fund ads and ballrooms and illegal wars shows that this administration’s priorities are completely out of touch with what our citizens expect of us. And I hope my colleagues--if they are not willing to stand up for their own prerogative as Members of the Senate to write a budget, at least stand up for your constituents who are crying out for housing relief and not let that money be taken away to be put into ballrooms and illegal wars. I yield the floor.”
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Speech in the House
Respect 93 of 100
This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “because he is so insecure about his low popularity”.
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Speech in the House
Reasoning 100 of 100
This statement drew 7 conclusions and gave a reason for each one.
See full analysis
Madam President, I rise with my colleagues. I appreciate the Senator from Oregon and the UC he will seek in a few minutes about a very important bill to reclaim congressional authority over appropriations. I think both Senators Merkley and Murray have done a good job of laying out the law that appropriations are an article I power for Congress and the Impoundment Control Act requires that, once appropriated in a budget that the President signs, the dollars have to be spent. And so they have done a great job with the law, and the President with these pocket rescissions is violating the law. Since they have talked about the law, I want to talk about priorities. I want to talk about priorities and what this move of the President shows about his priorities. When the news was announced that he was going to cancel $800 million of appropriated funding in a budget that he had signed, he and some others said they are trying to shrink government or make government more efficient. Folks, that is a joke. That is a laugh line. You heard my colleague from New Hampshire talking about spending money on ballrooms, on arches, on trying to put his name on buildings. He is not trying to shrink anything. You see news in the last couple of days about President Trump stealing money from the Department of Homeland Security to run ``Love Me’’ ads on television because he is so insecure about his low popularity. Can I take money that is supposed to be going to protecting America’s border and turn it into ``Love Me,’’ ``Love Me,’’ ``Love Me’’ ads on television? He is not trying to shrink anything. In fact, the White House is here trying to get us to agree to a 40-percent increase in the Pentagon’s budget in the middle of an illegal war so he can continue to, as he says, restart bombing after the midterms. Can I just ask this question: Has any President ever publicly put ``midterms’’ and ``bombing’’ in the same sentence? I am likely to restart bombing after the midterms. Who has that thought much less says it publicly? So the President who is cutting the $800 million is seeking more money for an illegal war, is running ads about himself on television, is trying to build ballrooms and arches and put his name on buildings--this is about priorities. Can I tell you about just one of these items that the President is proposing to cut in the $800 million? It has been alluded to by my colleagues. The $800 million in funding includes, in the midst of a housing crisis, when all of our constituents are talking to us about housing affordability--the Trump administration wants to cut $56 million to the HUD Housing Counseling Program, which aims to expand and preserve home ownership opportunities in every ZIP Code in America. Now, this funding in Virginia enables nonprofit organizations in my Commonwealth and around the country to offer essential financial and support services for families looking to access the American dream of home ownership. One of my providers in Virginia reports they have helped--using these funds--they have helped over 1,000 families in the past 2 years achieve the American dream of owning a home, and a large factor that has contributed to their success has been these funds that President Trump wants to cut. With the funding, they have helped families build basic financial knowledge and the skills they need to become successful homeowners. In other cases, they work with families for a year or more to help them repair their credit and pay down their debt and save for downpayments, which helps them afford to buy a home. The long-term support has helped bridge the gap for families to find a home and ensure they are able to become successful and sustainable homeowners. So the Trump administration’s decision to cancel that funding when they are seeking money for ads or ballrooms or arches or names on buildings or illegal wars is directly affecting our constituents in their effort to have a piece of the American dream. Everything my colleagues have said about the law is correct. This violates article I of the Constitution. It violates the Impoundment Control Act. It goes against the promise that the President made when he signed the budget, that he would implement it. But the thing that makes me the maddest and the reason I am so excited to be here to support my colleague is, to cut programs that help Americans afford homes to fund ads and ballrooms and illegal wars shows that this administration’s priorities are completely out of touch with what our citizens expect of us. And I hope my colleagues--if they are not willing to stand up for their own prerogative as Members of the Senate to write a budget, at least stand up for your constituents who are crying out for housing relief and not let that money be taken away to be put into ballrooms and illegal wars. I yield the floor.