Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Carl DeMaio Owes Voters an Answer on Budget

 
Today San Diego County Democratic Party Chair Francine Busby released the following statement in response to the news that Congressman Paul Ryan and House Republicans introduced a new budget that will again attack Medicare:


“The budget plan of Carl DeMaio’s House Republican allies would raise Medicare costs on San Diego families and slash Pell Grants for students while cutting taxes for the wealthy. If DeMaio really wants to join this toxic Republican Congress, he needs to give voters a clear answer on whether he would support it or not.

"After DeMaio called it a 'decent start' last year, San Diego voters deserve to know whether he supports a Republican plan that tries to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class. As the national Republicans' hand-picked choice, Carl DeMaio cannot credibly win a primary election without giving a straight answer about his support for the Republican budget that would cuts jobs and raises Medicare costs on San Diego families."

BACKGROUND:  

DeMaio Called the Ryan Plan a “Decent Start” and said It Contained Some “Good Ideas.” In 2013, DeMaio praised Paul Ryan’s budget plan, calling it a “decent start” that contained good ideas. “People have said what do you think about Paul Ryan’s budget. It’s a decent start. There are some good ideas in it,” said DeMaio. [Temple Adat Shalom Men’s Club, 9/15/13]

Economic Policy Institute: Republican Budget Proposal Could Cost 3 Million Jobs.  “On net, I estimate that the House budget resolution would decrease GDP by 0.9 percent and decrease nonfarm payrolls by 1.1 million jobs in fiscal year 2015, relative to CBO’s current-law baseline. The following fiscal year, when Ryan’s cuts to discretionary spending kick in, 'The Path to Prosperity' would decrease GDP by 2.5 percent and cost 3.0 million jobs. And if the recovery remains sluggish, large job losses could continue under the Ryan budget in 2017 and beyond.” [Economic Policy Institute, 4/01/14]

Republican Budget Proposal Would Raise Taxes for Middle Class Families by $2,000. “White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement that Ryan’s plan would ‘raise taxes on middle-class families with children by an average of at least $2,000 in order to cut taxes for households with incomes over $1 million.’” [Businessweek, 4/01/14]

Republican Budget Proposal Would Turn Medicare into a “Voucher-Style Program.”  “Ryan's plan recycles several proposals from previous years that remain popular with GOP lawmakers, including repealing the benefits of the Affordable Care Act. But he keeps the taxes and cuts to Medicare mandated by the law. He calls for privatizing Medicare by changing it from an entitlement program into a voucher-style program.” [Washington Post, 4/01/14]

Republican Budget Proposal Would Make Deep Cuts to Education. “The measure also promises deep, probably unrealistic cuts to domestic programs like education, health research and grants to local governments that are funded each year through annual appropriations bills.” [ABC News, 4/01/14]

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