During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) spoke in opposition to the GOP's reconciliation package.
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00:00Mr. Chairman, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans ran for office saying that they would fight for everyday Americans who were struggling to afford rent and buy eggs.
00:12But today, they are leading a GOP spending bill that is an all-out assault on working families, seniors, and anyone who is just trying to get by.
00:24Here in the Judiciary Committee, we are considering one part of a larger package that prioritizes tax breaks for Trump's billionaire buddies like Elon Musk at the expense of the rest of us.
00:42This isn't leadership, it's betrayal.
00:44Americans deserve a government committed to uplifting every family, not a rigged system that takes health care and social security away from you and your loved ones so that they can line the pockets of billionaires like Elon Musk.
01:02Apparently, Trump and MAGA Republicans think Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and their billionaire buddies need another yacht or another mega mansion more than you need your insulin, your social security checks, or a nursing home for your aging parents.
01:22That's just not right.
01:23We must reject this budget reconciliation bill because our nation's prosperity should be measured by how well ordinary Americans thrive, not by how happy we make mega billionaires like co-president Trump.
01:40Excuse me.
01:40Well, Trump is a billionaire, too, like co-president Musk.
01:45I reject the larger package, but I also want to talk for a minute about the judiciary piece of this spending bill.
01:53There are so many ways we could spend money within our committee's jurisdiction that would make our lives better.
02:02Instead, we could put money towards gun violence prevention, towards finding and helping missing and exploited children, towards supporting Second Chance Act recipients who are trying to reintegrate into our communities, and towards so many other programs that would strengthen our communities.
02:21Instead, this is a bill aimed at shutting out all immigrants and locking up children in unlicensed, private, for-profit facilities for unlimited amounts of time at taxpayer expense.
02:37It's about preventing our government from going after businesses that cheat and overcharge you and that evade paying the taxes that they owe.
02:48It's about preventing the government from keeping your air clean and your water safe.
02:55And it's about making sure that Donald Trump's administration cannot be held to account when they violate the Constitution.
03:03I oppose the judiciary piece of this reconciliation package, and I will strongly oppose Trump's spending package when it comes to the floor because I support the everyday people, not Trump's billionaire buddies.
03:17And with that, I yield back.