Davis Opposes Budget Bill

Bill puts special interests before America's working families and poor  

Español

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jim Davis voted against the Budget Reconciliation Conference Report saying, “this legislation puts special interests and the wealthy ahead of America’s working families and poor.”

 

The Republican Leadership calls the legislation the “Deficit Reduction Act,” but since the bill fails to fully offset the cost of the leadership’s tax cut packages, the budget actually increases the deficit while slashing critical services for low-income families.

 

Most offensive are the budget bill’s cuts to the Medicaid program.  The legislation cuts $28 billion over 10 years for America’s neediest patients, including millions of children, by cutting benefits, raising co-payments and reducing access to vital long-term care services.  The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicted that 80 percent of the savings from these cuts will result from Medicaid enrollees who will go without health services they can no longer afford.

 

The legislation also hurts students and families struggling with the high cost of tuition.  The bill slashes $11.9 billion for student loans, including increases in fees on students and interest rates on parent loans.

 

While cutting these and other critical services for America’s families, the Leadership gave a huge break to prescription drug and managed care companies.  The conference report dropped a number of provisions which would have cost these industries $42 billion.  “Behind closed doors, the leadership gave special interest groups a free ride while leaving America’s families out in the cold,” said Davis.