Six Democrats Denounce GOP’s Budget Bill, Urge House Rejection
TL/DR –
The Senate Republicans’ budget bill, which has passed the Senate and is currently being voted on in the House, has drawn criticism for potentially increasing prices, stripping healthcare from 17 million Americans, increasing the national deficit, and providing tax cuts to the wealthy. Elected officials and leaders from across Colorado, including U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and Governor Jared Polis, have voiced strong opposition to the bill, stating that it will have a severe impact on the state, including forcing rural hospitals to close, reducing investments in clean energy, and exacerbating poverty. The bill also includes a $3 trillion tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, which will be funded by taking healthcare away from 17 million Americans, forcing rural hospitals in Colorado to close, gutting investments in clean energy, and increasing the national debt by trillions of dollars.
Senate Republicans Pass Budget Increasing Prices for Americans, Increasing Deficit
Senate Republicans have passed a budget that’s likely to raise costs for residents of Colorado, result in 17 million Americans losing healthcare, increase the national deficit and offer tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy. This budget is currently undergoing voting in the House of Representatives.
Impacts of Republican Budget Bill on Colorado
US Senator John Hickenlooper, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, and several US Representatives conducted a virtual press conference to discuss the impact of the Republican budget bill on Colorado. They urged the House to reject the bill after it passed the Senate. They highlighted the destructive effect of the proposed cuts in the bill on Coloradans.
Concerns Raised Over Republican Budget Bill
Representatives voiced concerns over the bill, citing the potential for healthcare loss for Americans, closure of rural hospitals, drastic cuts in clean energy investments, and an unprecedented increase in national debt. The bill is also expected to lead to significant transfer of wealth to the top 1% and large corporations, and add over $3 trillion to national debt.
The Senate-approved reconciliation bill includes a $3 trillion tax cut for the wealthiest Americans. It funds these tax cuts by removing healthcare from 17 million Americans, forcing rural Colorado hospitals to close, drastically reducing clean energy investments, and inflating the national debt.
Only four House Republicans need to vote against the bill for it to fail after more than 24 hours of voting with a record number of amendments. Hickenlooper voted NO on the budget resolution.
Affects on Health Care
The Republican budget proposal suggests severe Medicaid cuts of over $1 trillion, expected to hinder health care providers’ service to their patients and disrupt nursing home care for seniors. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that as a result, 17 million Americans will lose health insurance by 2034, significantly increasing national debt.
Reduction in Clean Energy Investments
The Republicans voted to cut hundreds of billions from Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) clean energy investments, which include tax credits for wind and solar. As a result, over a million jobs may be lost, leading to an increase in electricity prices and a potential for blackouts.
Impact on Safety Net Programs
The Republican bill is also expected to take away financial safety nets and crucial programs from millions of Americans, including the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that supports 55,000 Coloradans.
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