U.S. House Budget Committee is scheduled to review a budget resolution that makes hard-working families pay more and worsens budget deficits with massive tax cuts for the highest income Americans. In addition, the resolution contains measures and procedures that seek to fast-track the proposed budget and limit debate and opposition.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2017
CONTACT:
Sarah Austin
(207) 620-1104
saustin@mecep.org
U.S. House GOP Aims for Cuts that Cost Working Families and Those Struggling to
Make Ends Meet
Maine’s congressional delegation should reject the House budget and instead work
toward a bipartisan plan that matches our state’s needs and priorities
AUGUSTA, ME (July 19, 2017) – Today, the U.S. House Budget Committee is scheduled to review a budget resolution that makes hard-working families pay more and worsens budget deficits with massive tax cuts for the highest income Americans. In addition, the resolution contains measures and procedures that seek to fast-track the proposed budget and limit debate and opposition.
“The House GOP budget resolution casts a harmful vision for the nation’s future: tax cuts for the wealthy and rolling back opportunity in America,” responded Sarah Austin, policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy. “Maine people cannot withstand having basic services like public education, health care and food assistance for families gutted to give enormous tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.”
The budget resolution aims to make drastic cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and impose work requirements, cutting income and food assistance for the working poor, and making deep cuts to grant and financial aid programs that help prepare college students to enter the workforce and get good-paying jobs.
The budget committee’s cuts to safety net programs are so sweeping that they will affect most Mainers, including:
- One in six Maine families who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP, or Food Stamps) - 290,000 Mainers whose access to health care depends on Medicare
- 260,000 Mainers enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program (MaineCare)
- 30,000 low-income Maine students who received more than $100 million in Pell grant
aid to allow them to attend college
“We’ve seen the impacts of similar proposals from the LePage administration’s efforts to roll back basic health and safety net programs here in Maine, and the worsening health and economic outcomes that resulted for families and children. Mainers deserve a responsible federal budget proposal from our representatives,” said Austin. “Instead of fast-tracking cuts that shortchange Mainers and our economy, Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin should focus on a plan that invests in Maine people.”
About MECEP
The Maine Center for Economic Policy is a nonpartisan policy research organization that provides citizens, policymakers, advocates, and media with credible and rigorous economic analysis that advances economic justice and prosperity for all Maine people.
