Republicans Vote To Gut Health Care and Food Assistance For Marylanders To Fund Tax Breaks For Billionaires

In response to House Republicans passing Trump’s disastrous budget bill, Maryland Democratic Party Executive Director Karen Darkes released the following statement:

“While Marylanders were sleeping, House Republicans delivered a devastating blow to their constituents to appease Donald Trump and his billionaire backers. On Trump’s orders, House Republicans launched a toxic attack on Marylanders to rip away quality, affordable health care and take food off of many Marylanders’ tables — all to give tax handouts to the top 1%. Here’s the reality: The GOP’s catastrophic ‘billionaire first’ budget will harm Maryland’s economy, cost hardworking Marylanders more jobs, and leave working families footing the bill for America’s wealthiest. Once again, it’s clear that Trump and Republicans are only concerned with enriching billionaires on the backs of working Marylanders — but we’re ready to fight back. Make no mistake: Democrats will ensure Maryland voters have the knowledge and tools they need to fight for working families and hold every Republican loyal to billionaires over them accountable at the ballot box.”

At Donald Trump’s command, House Republicans, including passed Trump’s disastrous “billionaires first” budget to make Trump’s tax scam permanent and fund a billionaire giveaway on the backs of working Marylanders.

215 Republicans voted to pass this bill through the House of Representatives. They succeeded with a one vote margin, 215-214.

Trump: “It is IMPERATIVE that Republicans in the House pass the Tax Cut Bill, NOW! Our Country Will Boom!!!”

NBC News: “Senate Republicans released a new budget blueprint Wednesday that would pave the way for … making President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent.”

Axios: “The draft legislation would extend the cuts in the 2017 tax bill, and it adds on some more breaks.

“Some will benefit the wealthiest, including a permanent increase to the deduction for pass-through income to 22% from 20%, plus a hike for the estate tax exemption, which would shield more inheritances from taxes.”

To afford another round of tax handouts for their billionaire backers, Republicans are sticking low-income Maryland families with the bill, causing them to have less after-tax income.

USA Today: “Low-income families would lose, wealthier ones would gain under GOP tax proposals”

“Low-income families stand to lose hundreds if not thousands of dollars in income while wealthy ones will gain even more, according to a new analysis of Congressional Republican tax and budget proposals. …

“The report estimated that families with a modified adjusted gross income of less than $10,000 would lose over $2,700 (or nearly a 15% reduction in income). Families who make between $10,000 and $20,000 would lose over $800, or about 4.4% reduction in income, while families who make between $20,000 and $30,000 would lose $400, or about 1.5% reduction in income.

“In comparison, families with higher incomes would benefit from the extension of the 2017 tax cuts.”

… while gutting Medicaid, a lifeline for 1,469,000 Marylanders, and slashing food assistance programs that help put meals on the table for over 693,500 Marylanders.  

The Hill: “Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday afternoon advanced legislation containing cuts to Medicaid and health care provisions — some of the most controversial and contentious provisions that will be included in the ‘big, beautiful bill’ of President Trump’s ambitious legislative agenda.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “CBO’s early estimates show that at least 13.7 million people would lose coverage and become uninsured because of the Medicaid cuts and the ACA marketplace restrictions in this committee legislation, as well as the fact that the budget legislation does not extend expiring marketplace premium tax credit improvements.”

West Virginia Watch: “Medicaid cuts could hurt older adults who rely on home care, nursing homes”

ProPublica: “The Trump Administration Cracked Down on Medicaid. Kids Lost Insurance.”

Georgetown University Center for Children and Families: “Cuts to Medicaid Will Shift Costs to Families, Providers and Will Be Especially Harmful to Rural Communities”

Politico: “House Agriculture Committee approves $300 billion in nutrition spending cuts”

Center for Budget Policies and Priorities: “Millions of Low-Income Households Would Lose Food Aid Under Proposed House Republican SNAP Cuts”

“Regardless of how Republican lawmakers enact a cut of this magnitude, this would slash more than 20 percent from a program that helps more than 40 million people, including 1 in 5 children, afford groceries.”