BREAKING: Budgets Cut Taxes for the Rich, Pave Way for Medicaid and SNAP Cuts

A few hours ago, Senate Budget Committee leaders released their proposed 2018 budget. Unfortunately, this blueprint paves the way for trillions in deficit-increasing tax cuts that mostly benefit millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations. Instead of investments in critical anti-poverty programs, their budget actually assumes that at least $1.5 trillion of their tax cuts will not be paid for — and down the line, the resulting deficits will be used by policymakers to demand cuts to basic assistance programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), education, and infrastructure. The Senate Budget Committee will consider this proposal next week.

In addition, the full House will vote next Thursday on a budget resolution that “fast tracks” cuts  to basic assistance programs using budget reconciliation in order to finance tax cuts for the rich.

We must send a strong message to policymakers to REJECT any budget resolution that lavishes large tax cuts on the wealthy and profitable corporations that will lead to trillions in lost revenue,  cuts in nutrition assistance, education, health care, and infrastructure, and exploding deficits.

TAKE ACTION: Get started now by sending a letter to the editor urging your members of Congress to reject this giant tax giveaway to the rich that puts anti-poverty programs at risk. Tailor this draft letter (or use our online letter to the editor tool) to send your letter today. Reference stories from your local paper when editing your letter to increase chances you’ll get published — and be sure to call on your representative(s) and senators by name to oppose the budget proposals:

In response to your coverage of the budget and tax debate in DC: With 1 in 8 Americans are living at or below the poverty line, why are some members of Congress taking aim at the very federal programs that help working families put food on the table and obtain other basics to survive to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy?

SNAP (formerly food stamps) lifted 3.6 million out of poverty last year and the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits lifted 8.2 million people above the poverty line. Gutting these programs – and many others, including Medicare and Medicaid – to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and big corporations is unconscionable. With important budget decisions happening now, I hope I can count on our members of Congress to stand with families and kids here in our state and reject these reckless tax giveaways.

Also, remember that Congress will be on recess in October (Senate: Oct. 9-14; House: Oct 16-20). Request face-to-face meetings with them to talk about the budget and look for town halls where you can ask them questions about it. Please contact Jos Linn ([email protected]) for assistance.