New York, NY – Congressman Charles Rangel issued the following statement on the holiday weekend of Passover, Easter, and the end of Lent: 

“Every Spring, millions of Americans gather together to observe the holidays of Passover, Easter, and the end of Lent. It is in these precious moments with our families and friends that we come to understand the meaning of compassion, empathy, and charity. We are reminded of the millions of Americans still struggling to find gainful employment and put food on their tables. All of us know somebody in that situation.

In these tough economic times, people of all faiths must come together to help our brothers and sisters in need. Whether that means feeding the hungry, providing shelter, or even giving old clothes, we can all do our part.

I believe that Congress also has an obligation to protect the social safety net for the most vulnerable among us. The recent attempts by the House Republicans to pass the Paul Ryan Budget aim to gut Medicare, Medicaid and the food-stamp programs. This is unacceptable and wrong, especially at a time when the wealthiest Americans are paying the lowest tax rates in generations.

Poverty is a soul-crushing condition that should not exist in the richest country in history. These social programs that the Republicans want to get rid of have helped generations of Americans rise out of poverty and provide for themselves financially. We often hear Republicans talk about people lifting themselves up by their bootstraps. It's rather difficult to achieve that when a person doesn't have boots."