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Linda Sánchez Statement on Trump FY2018 Budget

May 23, 2017

Rep. Sánchez says Trump budget “would lead to the death of the middle class by a thousand cuts.”

Washington, DC – Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, today released the following statement on the Trump administration's Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal:

"The budget proposal released by the White House today would lead to the death of the middle class by a thousand cuts. The Trump plan makes massive cuts to vital programs such as Medicaid, Social Security Disability Insurance, and even Meals on Wheels. These are programs that millions of Americans rely on every day. It also makes it harder for hard working Americans to get ahead by slashing investments in job training, college affordability, and clean energy innovation.

"These draconian cuts are made in name of deficit reduction. However, the fatal flaw in the Trump budget is its reliance on unrealistic economic growth assumptions. It continues perpetuating the myth of trickledown economics. The reality is that hard working men and women will have to work even harder just to keep up. This budget stacks the deck against millions of middle class families trying to get ahead.

"For someone who campaigned on helping America's working families, Donald Trump's budget shows he cares more about promoting an extremist ideology than actually making our country stronger. The cuts included in Donald Trump's budget proposal would essentially foreclose on a better future for our country. Instead of making our country even greater, the Trump budget would make our country less competitive for generations to come."

The President's budget slashes $1.4 trillion from programs our families and communities depend on to get by. Included in his budget are:

  • $610 billion in cuts to Medicaid
  • $191 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps feed nearly 44 million people-including kids—every year
  • $143 billion from federal student loans, including the elimination of federally subsidized loans and loan forgiveness programs for nurses, police officers, and teachers
  • $100 billion from the Highway Trust Fund
  • $48 billion cut from Social Security's disability program
  • $40.4 billion in cuts to the Earned Income Tac Credit and Child Tax Credit
  • $38 billion from Farm bill programs, including a cap on crop insurance premium subsidies
  • 31.4 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • 20.5 percent cut to the Department of Agriculture