This week, the Senate will vote on a budget resolution which is the first step to the GOP tax scam. This will pave the way for tax cuts for the wealthy and to corporations at the expense of all others. We need to let our senators know that we are counting on them to pass a budget that does not blow a hole in domestic spending.
The Senate Republicans’ budget resolution for FY 2018 proposes deep cuts to the federal budget totaling roughly $5 trillion over 10 years. These cuts target Medicare, Medicaid and a myriad of other programs that constitute the “social safety net,” and will be used to offset tax cuts predominantly for wealthy Americans.
If the $5 trillion in proposed cuts are proportionally divided among current spending levels, Medicaid and Medicare would see cuts of $1 trillion and $473 billion respectively. Under normal Senate procedure, this sort of radical change would face opposition in the Senate due to the 60-vote threshold usually required to pass a budget. However, Republicans are using the 50-vote threshold ‘budget reconciliation’ procedure to move them forward.
The House 2018 budget resolution contains $203 billion in non-defense budget cuts which are also expected to largely come from Medicaid and Medicare. No matter what compromise is ultimately made between the Senate and the House, Congressional Republicans will undoubtedly target the health care safety net and endanger the most vulnerable among us.
Not only do these massive budget cuts break Trump’s campaign promise to protect Medicare, but pairing them to tax reform also makes clear that this will serve as an egregious transfer of wealth to those who need it least: corporations and the richest 1% of Americans.
- Call Rob Portman at 202-224-3353
- Call Sherrod Brown at 202-224-2315
Script:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and my address is [ADDRESS].
I’m calling today to ask Senator [NAME] to vigorously oppose the deep federal spending cuts in the 2018 Budget Resolution which are taken from Medicare and Medicaid. Low-income and elderly Americans should not have to give up their access to health care in order to fund tax breaks for the wealthy. Taxes fund programs that I believe are important, and those most able to pay should do so.
Thank you for your hard work answering the phones.
[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]
Thanks to Rogan’s List and 5Calls.