‘This Is A Moral Moment’: Democrats Tackle Budget on Capitol Steps
NJ senator extends his criticism of Republican policies after historic speech
Looking for novel ways to reach out to the American people about the threats posed by the Republican agenda, two prominent Democratic lawmakers devoted the early hours on a Sunday morning to talk about ongoing efforts to deeply slash federal spending and cut into government programs that help an wide array of Americans.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, and Sen Cory Booker, of New Jersey, sat in casual clothes on the steps of the US Capitol building, in what they described as a conversation.
Steaming the event live, the pair described their event as a chat not only between themselves but invited viewers to participate online — or even join them in person if they could.
For Booker, it was an extension of the higher profile he’s been taking since his extraordinary, record-breaking speech on the floor of the Senate in which he lambasted the leadership and priorities of Donald Trump for more than 24 hours continuously.
The talk Sunday focused on legislation congressional Republicans are pushing — with Trump’s support — to pare back federal spending severely in order to make way for a huge tax cut that would mostly benefit the ultra-wealthy and large corporations.
“That bill, we believe, presents one of the greatest moral threats to our country that we’ve seen, in terms of what it will do to providing food for the hungry, care for the elderly, services for the disabled, healthcare for the sick — and more,” Booker said.
The pair began by invoking the words of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
“Martin Luther King said, ‘Budgets are moral documents,’ and that’s the spirit we come here this morning and have a larger conversation with all who watch,” Booker added.
Jeffries agreed that the legislation in question is a question of morality.
“This is, as you indicated, a moral moment,” Jeffries said.
The lawmakers said that they hoped to engage with people on just how the proposed Republican budget plan would impact their own quality of life.
Video of Booker and Jeffries’ conversation is available here:
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