DeLauro Statement on the House Republican Budget
WASHINGTON, DC (July 18, 2017) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement regarding the House Republicans' budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2019.
"The budget released today by House Republicans is another stark reminder that Republicans and President Trump are waging a war on the middle class, while eviscerating the social safety net for the most vulnerable that keeps so many out of poverty. They threaten the work of so many Democratic and Republican leaders who built our safety net.
"We need a budget that works for the middle class and the vulnerable, not just for those with the most money and most lobbyists. Plain and simple, this budget would produce radical and untold damage to our country and promise. This budget would shrink, not grow, the middle class.
"What they propose now breaks our promise to American's seniors, cutting $487 billion from Medicare; denies health coverage to millions of Americans by supporting the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and slashing Medicaid funding by $1.5 trillion; and betrays American workers by cutting job training, education programs, and other non-defense programs by 34 percent over the next 10 years. It cuts trillions of dollars from our social safety net—decimating SNAP benefits and supporting repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which would unravel healthcare coverage for preexisting conditions. This budget is completely out of touch with the reality that millions of hardworking American families face every day.
"If Republicans were serious about addressing the challenges faced by working families, they would put forth a budget that makes life easier for working people, not harder. That means robust job training and apprenticeship programs, paid family and medical leave, equal pay for equal work, fair trade, and investment in programs that support the health and wellbeing of our children. We should strengthen the tax credits working families rely on, raise the national minimum wage, and make sure all working families have access to affordable childcare. Sadly, the Republicans are more concerned with pandering to special interests and lobbyists, and taking health care away from millions of Americans, than they are with enacting policies that reflect the lives of everyday Americans."
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