Congressman Gonzalez Votes Against Stripping Healthcare from Nearly 50,000 South Texans and Increasing Deficit by $3.8 Trillion
Partisan Bill Lowers Taxes for the Ultra-Rich and leaves South Texas Seniors, Veterans, and Families in the Dust
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) released a statement following his vote against the House Republican Budget Bill that would strip almost 14 million Americans off their healthcare, including nearly 50,000 South Texans and add at least $3.8 trillion to the national deficit.
“There is nothing ‘beautiful’ about a bill that lowers taxes for the ultra-rich on the backs of our senior citizens, our children, and our veterans,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “Ripping away health insurance, raising food prices nationwide, increasing the cost of education, harming our senior citizens, and hurting federal workers’ retirement is shameful and I will not stand for it.”
The Bill’s Harmful Impact:
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), an estimated 49,380 South Texans in TX-34 will lose their healthcare from the proposed Republican budget. This includes people losing both Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage.
Republicans’ refusal to extend ACA tax credits will also spike health insurance costs for the 129,000 South Texans in TX-34 who rely on the ACA.
Additionally, the budget cuts $500 billion in Medicare benefits, which breaks President Trump’s promise to not touch Medicare and triggers automatic cuts to critical programs that fund child abuse prevention, foster care and adoption services, and more.
The Republican budget plan also cuts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, or SNAP benefits, which, according to the Urban Institute, would lead to as many as 1.4 million children losing access to free or reduced-price school meals nationwide.
These drastic cuts would devastate South Texas. 65,313 households in TX-34 (or 26.1% of total households in the district) are enrolled in SNAP, the highest out of any congressional district in Texas. SNAP cuts also harm struggling farmers and ranchers by reducing consumer demand for food products, which impacts their revenue and bottom line.
The Republican Budget proposal will also increase the price of education as it cuts access to Pell Grants and other federal student aid, jeopardizing the academic future of 4.4 million Pell grant recipients nationwide.
Republicans’ justification for these excessive cuts to lifeline programs are to create a fiscally responsible budget. However, according to the latest CBO projections, their plan will increase the federal deficit by at least $3.8 trillion. This will worsen our economy’s health and hurt hardworking American households.
In short, the Republican budget will leave South Texans and Americans sicker, hungrier, and poorer while the ultra-rich continue to line their pockets.
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