Press "Enter" to skip to content

Republicans are using the budget to tee up massive tax cuts for the wealthy

The House budget resolution puts in motion the procedural steps Republicans need to pass massive tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations through the Senate with only 51 votes. Just like they used the reconciliation process to try to jam through TrumpCare, they plan to jam through their tax cuts the same way. And in order to pay for these tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, critical programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and food assistance could be cut — either now or in the future. The details are appalling:

  • $1 trillion cut from Medicaid over ten years (that’s 20% of Medicaid’s budget)
  • Over $150 billion cut from SNAP (that’s 22% of SNAP’s budget)
  • Nearly $500 billion cut from Medicare—and it’s turned into a voucher system
  • $3.3 billion cut from Pell grants—and they’d be harder for students to use
  • Untold billions in cuts to education, the environment, housing, and worker training

Our job is to make sure Mike Turner knows these cuts are unacceptable.   He needs to oppose any budget resolution that:

  1. Requires cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, food assistance or any other programs that help families afford the basics.
  2. Allows cuts to critical programs to pay for tax cuts

Use this sample script to tell Mr. Turner how you feel about cutting vital services.  Dial 202-225-6465

Caller: Hello! My name is [NAME] and I’m calling from [ADDRESS]. Can you tell me how Congressman Turner plans to vote on the House budget resolution?

(He is probably in favor of the GOP plan, but his staffers likely “don’t know” how he’s planning to vote.)

Staffer: The Congressman doesn’t have a position on the budget resolution yet.

Caller: That’s terrible. This budget resolution calls for billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid and it turns Medicare into a voucher program. I’m opposed to that and so is the majority of the American people. Congressman Turner should oppose this destructive resolution that makes deep cuts to programs people rely on in order to give tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations.

Staffer: I’ll let the Congressman know your thoughts.

Caller: Yes, please do, and please take down my contact information so you can let me know how the Congressman votes in the end. I’ll be watching this vote closely.

 

Adapted from Indivisible’s “Trump Tax Scam, Step 1: The Budget Resolution”