Statement:
Far too many American families are just one accident or personal catastrophe away from financial collapse. The federal government needs to make sure that when people hit hard times they do not go without the basics. However, the president’s budget would cut $2.5 trillion from poverty-reduction programs in the United States over the next decade. That funding would help pay for huge tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations.
In Washington state, the proposed federal budget proposal would leave lawmakers on the hook for finding billions of dollars in additional funding over the next decade to make up for cuts in federal programs for states. For example, it would:
- Cut Medicaid funding by 20 percent over 10 years, which would cost the state approximately $5 billion in federal funds per biennium by 2027.*
- Cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by 25 percent over 10 years, costing the state up to $1 billion per biennium by 2027.
- Cut another $1.9 billion in other federal funds to the state over 10 years that provide basic supports to low-income families, prevent homelessness, and help people meet basic needs and train for better jobs.
We all share in the responsibility to ensure that everyone in our communities has food on the table, a roof over their heads, and basic supports. Programs like Medicaid and SNAP are effective at helping provide people with the foundations they need to move out of poverty. They also bolster local economies.
If President Trump truly wants to help the American people and strengthen the economy, his budget should invest in services that actually help people find work, get education and essential job training, and have access to mental health services. He shouldn’t be focusing on making the rich richer at the expense of the rest of us.
