The
full Senate on Monday is set to take up a budget that will shape national
priorities for the coming year. “Devastating,” is how Bernie summed up the
Republicans’ proposal. They would throw millions of Americans off health
insurance. Their budget would cut $4.3 trillion from programs like Medicare,
food stamps and Medicaid. Education programs would be scaled back. Pell Grants
for college students would be frozen. Wall Street regulations passed in the wake
of the 2008 financial crisis would be scaled back. What it doesn’t do may be
even worse. It doesn’t address the 11 percent real unemployment rate in the
United States. It doesn’t create any jobs. It doesn’t fix crumbling roads and
bridges. It doesn’t make college more affordable. It doesn’t raise the minimum
wage. Despite Republicans’ professed concerns about deficits, their plan would
leave in place tax loopholes that let the wealthy and big corporations avoid
paying their fair share of taxes. Bernie tried to make the budget better in
committee, where he is the ranking member, but his amendments all fell on
party-line votes. He will try again to improve the budget when the debate moves
this week to the Senate floor. |
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