Boyle Statement on Budget Committee Passage of Republican Plan to Rip Away Health Care to Pay for Billionaire Tax Cuts

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, released the following statement after Budget Committee Republicans voted along party lines to advance their far-right budget reconciliation bill.

“Republicans have spent months lying about their plan to make the largest cuts to health care and food assistance in American history. But they can’t spin ripping health care away from at least 13.7 million Americans—and taking food assistance away from millions of families—just to hand out tax breaks to billionaires.

Even with these draconian cuts, their bill could add more to the deficit than any legislation in decades. And what’s worse? Kicking 13.7 million people off their health care apparently wasn’t enough for House Republicans. The only reason this vote passed tonight is because they’ve plotted behind closed doors to hurt even more families while refusing to share this backroom deal with the American people.

This fight isn’t over, and we’re going to make sure every American knows exactly how they’ve been betrayed by Donald Trump and the Republican Party.”

During tonight’s markup, the Republican majority rejected all four motions to instruct offered by Budget Committee Democrats, including:

• Rep. Balint’s motion to amend the bill by striking all provisions the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates would increase the number of Americans without health insurance;
• Rep. Amo’s motion to amend the bill by adopting Donald Trump’s own proposal to raise the income tax rate on millionaires;
• Rep. McGarvey’s motion to amend the bill by removing all provisions CBO projects would reduce participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and
• Rep. Jayapal’s motion to add a point of order prohibiting the use of a current policy baseline to mislead the public about the true cost of Republican tax cuts in the final reconciliation package.

Although procedural rules blocked Budget Committee Democrats from offering amendments during the committee markup, these four motions would have provided Chairman Arrington with non-binding instructions to offer changes when the bill reaches the Rules Committee. In February, during a 12-hour markup, Budget Committee Democrats offered 32 amendments to protect middle-class families.

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