WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Ways and Means Committee approved the Entitlement Reconciliation Recommendations Act Wednesday, October 26, slashing $8 billion of federal funding for safety net programs that help California’s children, workers and seniors.
“One has to wonder how the current Republican leadership can sleep soundly at night knowing that they are blatantly turning their backs on countless hardworking Americans in their time of need,” Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31) said. “And we’re talking about cuts that disproportionately affect California – foster care dollars, investment in child support, and moneys much needed for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. All the cuts instituted are draconian and hurtful, especially when held up to the harsh reality that California is already being shortchanged by the federal government. Why isn’t the governor now speaking out about $0.77 coming back to California for every dollar we sent to Washington? This is time for leadership. Unfortunately, Republicans in Washington and in the governor’s office have proven themselves woefully inadequate.”
The spending cuts approved by a party-line vote of 22 to 17 would have a particularly harsh impact on California: cutting $900 million used to help fund the state’s child support collection services in the next five years; cutting foster child eligibility and reducing foster care funding by over $23 million annually; and giving a mere $20 million to the state over the next five years for child care assistance, when an estimated $375 million is needed. The bill also delays past-due benefits to California’s neediest citizens who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, and removes measures to protect American manufacturers from unfair trade policies.
"Unlike many issues that come before Congress, this one is simple,” Rep. Fortney “Pete” Stark (CA-13) said. “Every family in America that sits down to tally their household budget understands that if you have to cut expenses, you start by cutting out the extraneous expenses. You do not come to the table and announce that because some savings are needed, the family will stop paying for food. These cuts are reckless, harmful and, worst of all, wholly unnecessary. Any vote for this package of cuts is a vote to protect special interests and a vote against the neediest Americans in order to accommodate tax breaks for the wealthy."
“When you have an unchecked majority that is addicted to cutting revenue and increasing spending, the outcome is not hard to predict: the largest debt in the history of our country – a whopping $8 trillion,” Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-1) said. “Instead of taking responsibility for their reckless fiscal policies, the majority is trying to pass the buck – and the bill – onto the states. Those who spent the year championing an ‘ownership society’ need to own up to their role in creating this fiscal nightmare and put some credible solutions on the table to balance the budget – not on the backs of the poor and the kids."
To read the dissenting views of the Ways and Means Democrats, which discusses in detail the overwhelming problems with the underlying reconciliation proposals, please click here.
# # # Becerra.house.gov # # #