Boyle Leads Debate on House Floor, Slams Republican Budget as an Attack on the Middle Class

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, opened the debate on the House floor, sharply criticizing the Republican budget proposal. He called it an attack on the middle class, highlighting cuts to essential programs that support health care, nutrition, and education for millions of families. Boyle stated that the plan favors billionaire donors over hardworking Americans, diverting taxpayer dollars from those who need it most.

Remarks as delivered and video are below:

(Click for video of remarks as delivered)

Ranking Member Boyle’s full opening remarks as delivered:

Mr. Chairman, we should be clear about what this is really about. This budget represents a Republican betrayal of the middle class, and I'm proud to rise and oppose it. Here's what's at stake. My friends on the other side of the aisle want to deliver four and a half trillion dollars of tax cuts, almost all of which go to the richest one percent of Americans. 

Now, how do they pay for it? How do they pay for that four and a half trillion dollars in tax cuts? 

First, at least 880 billion dollars from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Those cuts from Medicaid, by the way, represent the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history. 

72 million Americans get their health care from Medicaid.

We're mostly talking about seniors, children, and those with disabilities. Another 20 million Americans get their health care from the ACA. So combined, we're talking about 92 million Americans whose health care is at risk. And why? All to deliver tax cuts to billionaires. But now we have a math problem. 

Because even with those, the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, you don't get anywhere close to four and a half trillion dollars. So how do they finance the rest of it? Well, we have more cuts. Hundreds of billions more in cuts to education programs like school lunches, Head Start, student loan repayment. 

We also have 230 billion dollars of cuts to nutrition assistance at a time when grocery prices are at record highs. So, all told, that gets you to at least one and a half trillion dollars. But remember, the size of the tax cuts are four and a half trillion. And they want to add some more spending on top of that. 

So what do they do to make up the difference? Increase the national debt by four trillion dollars. A massive increase to our national debt. 

From the same crowd that for the last four years has done nothing but shed crocodile tears about the size of our national debt. 

You can always tell when there's a Democrat in the White House, because that's when the other side cares about the size of the national debt. 

But when there's a Republican President, Republican House, Republican Senate, the top priority is always tax cuts for the top 1%. 

A budget isn't just numbers on a spreadsheet. It's a reflection of our values. It's a reflection of what kind of country we are and want to be. 

There was a lot of campaigning going on throughout this country, and especially in my state, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, this past November. 

After all, we are the biggest battleground state in the nation. A lot of promises were made on both sides. A lot of it was about reducing costs for ordinary Americans. 

Not once, ever in that campaign, did I ever hear the other side say, we're going to cut Medicaid to the tune of 880 billion dollars, the biggest cuts to Medicaid in American history. 

In fact, we have a president who said, and I quote, ‘I will love and cherish Medicaid.’ 

Then a few hours later, he endorsed the House Republican plan that slashes Medicaid to the tune of 880 billion. When this president promises to love and cherish something, watch your wallets. 

Folks, I think the American people are going to figure out what this is about. 

It's right there in black and white. The 880 billion dollars I talked about? It's right there in their 58-page resolution. The 4 trillion dollar increase in debt, right there in black and white in their resolution. 

No amount of spinning will get you away from that simple reality. This is cutting healthcare and all sorts of programs for the American people in order to deliver tax cuts for billionaires who don't need it. 

I urge every member in this House to oppose this reckless and unfair plan, and with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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