Van Hollen Talks about Ryan Poverty Plan on MSNBC

“Total Disconnect Between What Chairman Ryan Said Yesterday And His Budget”

Washington, DC – Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, appeared on MSNBC’s Daily Rundown to discuss the poverty agenda that Congressman Paul Ryan outlined yesterday.  Below is a transcript of his interview, and the video is available here:

CHUCK TODD, MSNBC: Before the break you heard from House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan describing his anti-poverty program. One of the leading voices criticizing the plan is Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen. Congressman, good morning to you, sir.

REP. VAN HOLLEN:  Good morning, Chuck.

TODD:  So specifically, I know the Democratic charge is you don’t like the block grant idea. And I guess my question then is, then you must not like how the White House is allowing states to make up their own ways of Medicaid expansion. How is what Ryan is proposing that much different than what the White House is allowing so many states, like Indiana and Iowa, to do with their own versions of Medicaid expansion? Here’s some money, we’ll design a plan. How is that not similar to what Paul Ryan is calling for?

VAN HOLLEN:  It’s different in this way. What the Administration is proposing with respect to Medicaid does allow states to have waivers in certain areas on a case-by-case basis. What Mr. Ryan is proposing is a wholesale block grant of many programs, including the food and nutrition program, which we’ve always had as a guarantee for people at the lowest income levels, to make sure that in their most difficult times at least they will get that food and nutrition assistance. Under the Ryan plan that guarantee is taken away, whereas when it comes to Medicaid, no one is taking away your right to get medical assistance. That is a fundamental problem and that is the biggest single component of the 11 programs that the Ryan plan would collapse.

Chuck, I do need to emphasize the point you raised, this total disconnect between what Chairman Ryan said yesterday and his budget. If you look at the 11 programs under his budget, he would cut them in his budget by over 20 percent compared to current levels. So while he’s saying today he’s not going to deal with these in his budget, the budget they actually voted on has dramatic cuts, which put more people into poverty.

TODD: Let’s take his plan at his word in this respect and let me ask you this. Why shouldn’t states – I mean, I guess what I understand is with poverty programs, the Administration is in favor of states designing their own education standards. The Administration is in favor of designing its own ways of how to deal with Medicaid. What’s wrong with coming up with a program – and maybe you tighten it a little more than what Ryan is proposing, because every state has a different challenge when it comes to some of their poverty issues – that they design a program that maybe, that isn’t necessarily something that just fits in what the federal government says to do?

VAN HOLLEN:  Well, as you indicated with respect to Medicaid, that’s already done. And it’s also already done in many of these other areas. If Paul Ryan wants to propose taking some of these programs, not including the fundamental guarantee of food and nutrition programs, and allow more flexibility with oversight, that’s certainly something we can look at. But again, the battle here on Capitol Hill that has been most heated has been over the food and nutrition programs. That’s what the Republican budgets have been going after. And this proposal would really put that guarantee in the cross-hairs.

Let me just give you one more example, Chuck – because this is an example of watch what people do, not what they say. So you heard Paul Ryan embrace the idea of expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is a tax credit for low income workers. He proposes to expand that to include workers who don’t have kids, childless adults. That’s a proposal the President has, it’s a proposal House Democrats have put forward, and we embrace that idea. But here on the House floor today, House Republicans are going to vote on a bill that dramatically scales back the Child Tax Credit, which is a tax credit for low income workers with kids. And in doing that, they’re going to put 12 million more Americans into poverty, including 6 million kids. I urge everybody to look at this debate and vote on the floor of the House today. So we’re a little troubled about a speech yesterday on poverty, totally at odds with actions today on the floor of the House that will put more kids, 6 million more American kids into poverty.

TODD: Hey, I want to ask you, speaking of speeches, one of – in President Obama’s acceptance speech in Charlotte in 2012, he said – he talked up his plan to cut the deficit by $4 trillion and it left the implication this was something that was going to get tackled. And look, I guess my question to you is, you’re on the Budget Committee. You have been playing point in many ways for Democrats in the House. Are we going anywhere with deficit reduction? We’re two years removed now from the President talking about during the campaign a pledge to cut the budget – to cut the budget by $4 trillion. Are we going anywhere now?

VAN HOLLEN:  So two things, Chuck. As you know, the deficit has come down dramatically in the last four years, as the economy has improved and as we’ve done two things. We have had spending cuts, and we’ve also had the repeal of the tax breaks for the highest income earners. That has helped. Now, if you look at the long-term deficit picture, we certainly need to do more. I know the President is disappointed that he hasn’t gotten support from our Republican colleagues for his balanced approach, which says we’ve got to do more targeted spending cuts and some reforms, absolutely. But we also have to close these corporate tax breaks to help reduce the deficit. And the Republican position has been very clear and unmoving on this, which is they refuse to close a single corporate tax break or other tax break for the purpose of reducing the deficit. And if you don’t take that balanced approach, you’re not going to get there without hurting a lot of Americans.

TODD: Okay, Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member on the House Budget Committee, Maryland Democrat, thanks for coming on. Good to talk to you, sir.

 VAN HOLLEN: Good to talk to you, Chuck.