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Statement

Senate Budget Vote a ‘Deep and Painful Disappointment’

October 19, 2017

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising, a national online and on-the-ground organization of more than 1 million mothers and their families, on the FY2018 budget the U.S. Senate passed today
“The budget the U.S. Senate passed today would leave millions of working families worse off than they are right now. This vote undermines our country’s values and economy by prioritizing tax cuts for the wealthy while leaving low-income families to fend for themselves. Its $1.5 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthy are indefensible, especially because they are coupled with deep, punishing cuts to food and nutrition assistance, health care, Head Start, Medicaid, early education, disaster assistance and other essential programs that boost families and our economy.
 
“The Senate budget includes $4.1 trillion of cuts to entitlement programs over a decade, including cuts of $473 billion to Medicare and $653 billion to income security programs. Adding insult to injury, it leaves the door open for Congress to repeal our health care, even though voters have made clear time and again that they strongly oppose such a move.
 
“The budget the U.S. Senate passed today is not what moms want or what our economy needs. We must reduce, not exacerbate, the income inequality that is plaguing our country. We need a budget that helps struggling and working families make ends meet – not one that helps the rich get richer and leaves the rest of us to suffer.
 
“There is still time for members of Congress to redirect their efforts and start living up to the promises they made to the voters to protect families. As the budget process moves forward, our elected leaders should reject this pitiful excuse for a budget and instead prioritize anti-hunger, housing, health, education, disaster relief and other vitally important social service programs that boost our economy and make life better for those struggling to make ends meet.
 
“The moms of America are energized and ready to go. They visited every member of the U.S. Senate this week to let leaders know that this type of budget is the wrong direction for our families, economy and country. We will continue to speak out against policies that value the mega-rich and Wall Street over working families.
 
“Today’s vote is a deep and painful disappointment. It must not stand.”
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.