ICYMI: House Republicans Advance Their Plan to Give Tax Breaks to Billionaires at Everyday Americans’ Expense

Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, House Republicans in the Budget Committee passed their budget resolution to give millionaires and billionaires tax breaks at the expense of working- and middle-class Americans. They voted for cuts that would endanger popular programs millions of everyday Americans rely on, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). A Republican on the committee even indicated that they are willing to go after Social Security as well. House Republicans’ newly passed budget confirms just how out-of-touch they are with their constituents back home who want their leaders to lower costs – not make life even more unaffordable so that billionaires can receive even bigger tax breaks. Their budget makes one thing clear: House Republicans’ number one priority is helping out their ultra-wealthy friends by forcing their constituents to foot the bill.

Below are some of the key moments from yesterday’s markup that shed light on the real impact and intent behind House Republicans’ plans:

While advocating for cuts to crucial agencies that benefit the American people, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) stated that: “This is just the first agency. We got many more to come, like Social Security. We have many more to come, like the Department of Education.”
When asked if the House Budget Committee should review who is paying their fair share of taxes, Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX), who introduced this budget plan to cut taxes for billionaires and make working families pay for it, stated that: “Fairness is in the eye of the beholder.”
Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) pretended that House Republicans’ budget resolution doesn’t plan to cut Medicaid, calling it just a “framework” and a “balance sheet” – but Republicans have been talking about using this plan to cut Medicaid for weeks.
Ranking Member Brendan Boyle (D-PA) gave committee Republicans a dose of reality: “Let’s be clear, the idea that you’re going to come up with $880 billion from waste, fraud, and abuse – I’ve been hearing that my whole life. If it is so easy, why hasn’t it happened already? They are coming for your health care in order to pay for large tax cuts to billionaires.”
Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) discussed the impact that these cuts would have on veterans who rely on Medicaid, SNAP, and the Affordable Care Act after proposing an amendment to protect them: “Who is this bill for? It’s not for the veterans. It’s for Elon Musk and his friends. Elon Musk’s net worth is somewhere around $379 billion. In 2023, the income of a veteran was $52,122…That veteran would have to work 7.3 million years to earn Elon Musk’s current net worth. But Musk is dictating the cuts. The Republicans are happy to oblige. Our veterans deserve better.”

“House Republicans’ budget would give the ultra-rich trillions in tax cuts while sticking hardworking families with the bill,” said Unrig Our Economy spokesperson Leor Tal. “Their demonstration during the markup yesterday made it crystal clear that they intend to gut Medicaid and rip health coverage away from millions of working people, cut nutrition assistance from families, and slash education – all to fund massive giveaways for greedy billionaires and corporations. The rest of us are left wondering: Who is this really for? Certainly not the millions of families who would be paying for House Republicans’ pro-billionaire budget.”

To learn more about the campaign, visit UnrigOurEconomy.com or contact [email protected]

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About Unrig Our Economy

Unrig Our Economy is a national campaign to fix the rules of our economy to make it work for working people. We know that when the middle class does well, all of us do well — which is why we’re fighting on behalf of working Americans and holding corporations, their wealthy executives, and the politicians who enable them accountable.