DeLauro Announces Opposition To Ryan Budget

Statement

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement today announcing her opposition to the Ryan-Republican budget being voted on by the House of Representatives. DeLauro is the senior Democrat on the subcommittee responsible for funding the departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services.

"I am strongly opposed to the disastrous budget put forward by the House Majority. Once again, they have put forward a plan that slashes deeply into our common-sense priorities and tries to balance the budget on the backs of seniors, women, and the most vulnerable.

"A budget is about more than just numbers -- it is a reflection and embodiment of our values and priorities as a society. Our budget should advance our moral responsibilities as a nation to provide for the common good. I just attended the installation of Pope Francis in Rome, where he stressed the importance of working "to protect all of God's people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least fortunate.'

"But the Ryan budget, like his previous iterations, not only fails this critical moral test, it gets it exactly backwards. To pay for expanded tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, two-third of cuts non-defense cuts over the next ten years will come at the expense of programs that serve low- and moderate-income families. Over the next decade, this budget would deeply slash programs that protect public safety, promote job training and ensure education for low-income kids, among other programs.

"Jobs will be lost, students will lose Pell Grants, children will lose access to Head Start and National Service programs like Americorps will end. But that is not all. Medicaid will be slashed and food stamps cut. The health reforms we passed three years ago will be history; the donut hole will reopen, women will pay more for the same insurance as men, and children with pre-existing conditions could lose their coverage. Seniors will have to pay more for health care. And middle-class families will pay $2,000 more a year in taxes so millionaires can have a $200,000 tax cut.

"The American people roundly rejected this Reverse Robin Hood plan last November. They want us to use the budget to create jobs and grow the economy. I hope my colleagues respect their wishes, and reject this latest iteration of the same old Republican budget."

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