House Republicans are under fire for their new 10-year budget blueprint, released Tuesday, that proposes increasing military spending by $72.4 billion while slashing more than $200 billion from social programs.
The proposed budget resolution (“Building a Better America”), delayed for weeks by party infighting, also paves a path for Republicans to rewrite the tax code. The resolution’s tax reform goals include consolidating the existing individual income tax brackets and reducing the corporate tax rate. It would also enable U.S.-based businesses to pay little or no taxes on foreign profits.
To put forth a plan that Republicans claim would balance the budget within 10 years, and accounts for their desire to give massive tax cuts to the wealthy, the blueprint targets what it calls “duplicative anti-poverty programs”—federal programs that help provide poor citizens with health care, housing, food aid, and other social services—with $203 billion in budget cuts by 2027.
Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, characterized the spending cuts and tax goals as beneficial to big businesses, and contrary to the desires of the general public.
“Americans don’t want more tax breaks and loopholes for Wall Street while the rest of us foot the bill,” said Clemente. “Americans don’t want a budget that gives huge tax cuts for millionaires paid for by slashing Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Americans would rather invest in public education and infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and broadband access, instead of cutting corporate taxes.”
His statements align with recent public polling by the Pew Research Center, which earlier this year found the majority of Democrats and Republicans disagree with cuts to federal spending on social programs—including Social Security, health care, infrastructure improvements, and education.
The proposed cuts were also condemned by groups that support these essential social programs.
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