On March 15th 2017, President Trump submitted his first Federal budget to the 115th Congress. It features cuts of $54 billion to federal agencies, an increase of $52 billion in military spending, and tax cuts.
The budget will have a negative impact on people with disabilities, low income individuals, seniors and children. Members of the US Senate and Congress need to know that this is unacceptable!
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the 2018 budget proposal:
- Cuts SNAP (food stamps) by more than $193 billion over the next ten years.
- Cuts $72 billion over ten years from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income - which provide income benefits to individuals with disabilities.
- Cuts, by $22 billion over ten years, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant and Contingency Fund, which provide funds to states for short-term income assistance, work programs, and other crucial supports for poor families with children.
- Eliminates the Social Services Block Grant, a $1.7 billion program that provides states with flexible funding for services such as adult day programs for seniors and people with disabilities, child care, and help for children who are at risk of abuse and neglect, among others.
- Large cuts in rental assistance that would eliminate housing vouchers for more than 250,000 lower-income households, costing these households aid that helps them pay the rent and avoid homelessness.
In addition, the budget would cut health assistance to low and moderate income people by $1.85 trillion over ten years. $1.25 trillion of which will come from the proposal to from the House bill to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and $610 billion of additional Medicaid cuts. New Jersey stands to lose $31 billion in Federal funding of Medicaid over 10 years, as a result.
What can you do to prevent this budget from passing?
Call your US Senators!
Senator Menendez (973-645-3030) and Senator Booker (973- 639-8700).
Call your US Representative!
You can be connected to your representative by contacting the House switchboard at (202) 224-3121. If you wish to speak specifically about Medicaid or other healthcare issues in the budget, ask to speak with the Representative's Heathcare Staffer.
Tell them to vote "NO" on the President Trump's proposed budget. Indicate that the budget proposal will put the lives of people with disabilities at risk!
For more information:
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: cbpp.org
- Council on Human Needs: chn.org
- Budget Blueprint: whitehouse.gov
