Schakowsky Joins Fast to Protest Draconian GOP Budget Cuts
WASHINGTON, DC (April 8, 2011) — TodayRep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) joined members of Congress, members of the faith community, advocates for the poor, elderly and vulnerable Americans to protest the harmful cuts in the Republicans' 2012 Budget proposal. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) fasted on Thursday April 7th and "passed the baton... to Rep. Schakowsky, who will pass the fast to Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) on April 9th. Ambassador Tony Hall, former U.S. Representative from Ohio, Rev. Jim Wallis, President and CEO of Sojourners, Mary Kay Henry, International President of SEIU, Justin Rubin, Executive Director of MoveOn.org, and Rev. David Beckman, President of Bread for the World, are leading the fast. Reps. James McGovern (D-MA), Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), and Michael Honda (D-CA) will also participate in passing the fast. Schakowsky issued the following statement on her fast:
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"I am joining my colleagues in Congress, faith leaders, and more than 30,000 Americans across the country in a solidarity fast to protest the draconian, reckless and mean-spirited cuts proposed in the Republican Budget for fiscal year 2012. We fast in order to bring attention to those Americans who would be hardest hit, those who would suffer the most under the very cynical Republican vision for our nation.
"Budget proposals are moral documents — they reflect the values of our country and who we want to be as a nation. The budget proposals put forth by Republican Budget Chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), would slash funding for critical programs — including those that help students, the poor, pregnant women, the disabled, and older Americans. As I see it, accepting the Republican budget would send our country straight into moral bankruptcy.
"At its core, the Republican budget is unfair and does nothing to create jobs or grow our economy — our nation's top priorities right now. In fact, the Republican plan would actually cost us jobs. The Republican budget would literally heap an even greater financial burden onto the very people who are struggling most right now: low-income Americans, the middle class, and seniors. At the same time, amazingly, Ryan's Republican budget gives tax breaks to big corporations and the wealthiest Americans. How much more out of touch — not to mention immoral — can you get?...