Congressman Gonzalez Statement on House Republican Budget that Cuts Billions in Medicaid, School Lunch Program, and Infrastructure Funding

WASHINGTON D.C. - Last evening, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) released a statement following his vote to oppose the House Republican budget that would harm South Texans by making cuts to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, Head Start, Pell Grants, the National School Lunch program, SNAP benefits for low-income families, and vital infrastructure funding.  

“Medicaid, Pell Grants, Head Start, and SNAP provide a lifeline and open doors for Americans in every single corner of this country,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “I voted against House Republicans’ budget resolution because I cannot in good faith support any legislation that would leave our seniors, our children, and our hardworking families in South Texas behind. We must come together to be responsible stewards of taxpayer money without making life harder for South Texans – that's what our constituents sent us here to do.” 

Harm to TX-34 & Texas by the numbers: 

The House Republican Budget Plan would: 

·         Raise health insurance premiums for 129,000 South Texans receiving coverage through the Affordable Care Act – by an average of $420 per year

·         Put 206,885 South Texans at risk of losing Medicaid health care coverage – including 144,466 children under the age of 19 and 24,841 seniors over the age of 65

·         Risk cutting benefits to 65,313 South Texans who count on SNAP to put food on the table

·         Just last year, over $36 million in Federal Pell grants was awarded to residents in Texas-34. This plan would risk vital financial aid to families that need it most

·         In the State of Texas, 974,497 students would be at risk of losing access to free and reduced-priced school meals

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