Democrats slam GOP budget plan for thrashing everyone who’s not rich
President Donald Trump once promised food prices would drop “starting on Day 1.” Instead, just about everything—and especially a carton of eggs—is pricier. And now House Republicans are pushing a budget plan that could make prices even worse.
Thirty-two Senate Democrats, led in part by Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, are demanding that Trump reject the House GOP’s 2025 budget proposal, warning that it would gut key programs while paving the way for more tax cuts for the wealthy.
“If Congressional Republicans are successful at passing their proposals, it will mean that families will pay more for food, healthcare, education, and caregiving—while Republicans plot more tax cuts for billionaires,” said the senators. “We urge you to stand by the promises you made to the American people about lowering costs, including by committing not to sign any legislation that raises their costs.”
The letter, signed by more than two-thirds of the Senate’s Democratic caucus, outlines in four points precisely how the GOP budget would impact Americans’ wallets.
First, they say the bill will raise food costs by largely defunding the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program and Meals on Wheels, which feeds the elderly and homebound. Second, they say the bill would increase health care costs by significantly cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act coverage, affecting over 160 million Americans. Third, they say it would slash Pell Grants and income-driven repayment plans for student loans, both of which help families afford college. Lastly, according to the senators, the budget plan would raise caregiving costs for recipients who benefit from Medicaid and Head Start, a child care program for low-income families.
Democrats aren’t ruling out forcing a government shutdown as a potential bargaining chip to get what their constituents need.
Meanwhile, the GOP’s budget proposals are as chaotic as you’d imagine.
The House released their proposal on Thursday with cuts aimed at $880 billion in Medicaid cuts and $230 billion in cuts to food stamps in an effort to push Trump’s policy agenda of tax cuts for large companies and the wealthy.
Two moderate Republican House members, Reps. David Valadao of California and Nicole Malliotakis of New York, have voiced their opposition to the budget proposal. This is, in part, due to the large share of their constituents enrolled in Medicaid.
Valadao is convinced more Republicans will publicly come out to oppose the budget.
“There’s at least double digits of people who are severely concerned,” Valadao told The Hill. “And I think as people start to understand the specifics of how it’s going to affect their districts, I imagine that number grows.”
Meanwhile, House Republicans are in a standoff with Senate Republicans, racing to get their own versions of budget bills to the floor. Senate Republicans want to split tax cuts into a second bill, while House members included them in the budget bill released on Thursday.
As Republicans clash over how to handle the budget, the only question seems to be: How expensive do eggs have to get before Republicans start addressing real issues?
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