With more than 12 million private-sector jobs created over the last 60 months, it is clear that the President’s middle class economic agenda is working. But instead of taking the steps we need to strengthen the standing of working families, the Republican budgets for fiscal year (FY) 2016 would return our economy to the same top-down economics that has failed us before: cutting taxes for millionaires and billionaires, while slashing investments in the middle class that we need to grow the economy, like education, job training, and manufacturing. The Republican proposals stand in stark contrast to the President’s FY 2016 Budget, which would bring middle class economics into the 21st Century. A state-by-state breakdown of this contrast, including how the Republican budgets affect Florida, can be found in a report released today here: http://go.wh.gov/RoNU1j.
The President’s Budget builds on the progress we’ve made and shows what we can do if we invest in America's future and commit to an economy that rewards hard work, generates rising incomes, and allows everyone to share in the prosperity of a growing America. It lays out a strategy to strengthen our middle class and help America's hard-working families get ahead in a time of relentless economic and technological change. And it makes the critical investments needed to accelerate and sustain economic growth in the long run, including in research, education, training, and infrastructure.
Republicans have chosen different priorities. Yet again, they are seeking to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class, while cutting taxes for the wealthy and well-connected. They still won’t say where many of their spending cuts come from. But they are clear that their budgets would continue the harmful cuts known as sequestration in 2016, threatening economic growth, cutting programs middle-class families count on, and attempting to fund national security through irresponsible budget gimmicks. Their budgets slash domestic investments that support the middle-class even more significantly after 2016, along with programs that serve the most vulnerable Americans. House Republicans would end Medicare as we know it, transforming it from a guarantee seniors can count on into a voucher program. After five years of the Affordable Care Act, more than 16 million people have gained coverage. Yet once again, the Republican budgets propose to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions.
The choice could not be more clear or the consequences more stark. Thanks to President Obama and the resilience of the American people, the economy is growing again. The Republican budgets would put that growth at risk and limit opportunity for the middle-class and those seeking to join it.
In Florida, the Republican budgets wouldi:
Cut Taxes for Millionaires and Raise Taxes for Working Families and Students: While claiming to prioritize fiscal responsibility, the Republican budgets would not ask the wealthy to contribute a single dollar to deficit reduction, and the proposals specified in the House budget would cut taxes for millionaires by an average of at least $50,000. Meanwhile, the Republican budgets do nothing to prevent tax increases averaging $1,100 for 12 million families and students paying for college and $900 for 16 million working families with children. In 2015, nearly 1.1 million Florida families will receive a total of $965 million in tax cuts from improvements to pro-work tax credits that would expire after 2017 under the Republican budgets.
Eliminate Affordable Health Care: The Affordable Care Act is working. After five years of the Affordable Care Act, more than 16 million people have gained coverage. Yet once again, the Republican budgets propose to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions, taking away health insurance from millions of people. In particular, the Republican budgets would eliminate coverage for nearly 1.6 million Florida residents who have newly signed up for coverage or re-enrolled through the Marketplaces. Some of these individuals would become uninsured while others would end up with worse or less affordable coverage.
Raise Health Care Costs for Seniors: 346,100 Florida seniors and people with disabilities benefited by an average of $880 from the closure of the Medicare Part D prescription drug donut hole in 2014 alone. Under the Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, at least that many would likely have to pay more for needed medications in future years. The House budget would also end Medicare as we know it, replacing guaranteed access to the traditional Medicare program with a voucher program, risking a death spiral in traditional Medicare.
Slash Investments in the Middle Class: Under the Republican budgets, both non-defense and base defense discretionary funding in 2016 would be at the lowest real levels in a decade. Compared to the President’s Budget, if the Republican budgets were to take effect, these are just some of the impacts on Florida:
· Head Start: 1,460 fewer children in Florida would have access to Head Start services, representing a permanently missed opportunity to help these children enter elementary school ready to succeed.
· Teachers and Schools: Florida would receive $74.5 million less funding for disadvantaged students, an amount that is enough to fund about 160 schools, 1,020 teacher and aide jobs, and 113,000 students.
· Education for Children with Disabilities: Florida would receive $18.3 million less funding to provide educational opportunities for students with disabilities, representing an approximately 2.8 percent cut andshifting the burden for meeting these children’s needs to Florida and its local communities.
· Job Training and Employment Services: 130,500 fewer Florida residents would receive job training and employment services, including help finding jobs and skills training.
· Affordable Housing: Florida would receive approximately $80.2 million less in Federal funding, resulting in 5,990 fewer families receiving Housing Choice Vouchers, which enable very low-income families to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market.
· National Parks: Construction and renovation projects would be prevented or delayed at two national parks in Florida: Biscayne National Park and Castillo De San Marcos National Monument.
Balances Only with Gimmicks and Deep Cuts to Programs that Serve the Most Vulnerable and Help Expand Opportunity. On top of their cuts to middle-class investments and the ACA, the Republican budgets would cut:
- Pell Grants: Republican reductions to Pell would reduce financial aid for the 572,000 Florida students who rely on Pell grants to afford college.
- Medicaid: The House Republican proposal to block grant Medicaid would cut Federal funding to Florida by approximately $38.7 billion over ten years, impacting children, seniors, and people with disabilities who rely on Medicaid.
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): House Republican proposals to block grant and slash SNAP would cut nutrition aid in Florida by an estimated $8.7 billion over a five year period (2021-2025), jeopardizing nutrition assistance for the 3,526,000 Florida residents who receive SNAP to help them put food on the table.
Fails to Address Our Crumbling Infrastructure: Republican budgets lack a real plan to address the looming expiration and insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund. Through the Highway Trust Fund, in FY 2014 the Federal Government obligated $1.8 billion to Florida through the Federal Aid Highways program for highway planning and construction and over $321.7 million through Transit Formula Grants that support our Nation’s mass transit systems.
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