Boyle Statement on Passage of Republicans’ Extreme FY 2025 Budget Resolution
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Brendan F. Boyle, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, released the following statement after the House Budget Committee passed an extreme FY 2025 budget resolution over the unanimous objection of Budget Committee Democrats:
"Today, we saw just how backward and extreme House Republicans' vision for the future really is. We saw just how willing Republicans are to sell out American families in order to continue giving trillions in tax cuts to price-gouging corporations and the ultra-rich. And we saw just how hell-bent they are on gutting critical programs — raising the cost of living and pushing the middle class out of reach for hardworking families."
"Budget Committee Democrats know who we're fighting for. That's why we proposed amendments that would have protected Social Security and Medicare, prevented Republicans from raising health care costs, and defended American families against the devastating cuts in this budget resolution. By voting for this dangerous budget and by rejecting our amendments today, Committee Republicans have made it clear who they're fighting for — the wealthy and the well-connected."
"After hearing Budget Committee Republicans tell us how they'll take us backward, I look forward to hearing President Biden tell us how he'll keep America moving forward at the State of the Union tonight."
The steep cuts proposed by Republicans in this budget would eviscerate bedrock government programs – including Medicaid, SNAP, infrastructure spending, and funding for higher education. A report from Budget Committee Democrats, "Reversing Course: GOP's Backwards Budget," detailing how this budget resolution prioritizes tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy over seniors, students, and middle-class families is available here. Ranking Member Boyle's opening remarks are available here.
Budget Committee Democrats offered the following amendments, which stopped harmful GOP cuts and defended commonsense pro-American priorities, all of which were rejected by Budget Committee Republicans:
1. Defending the Independence of Ukraine – Ranking Member Boyle
This amendment will provide $60.6 billion in much-needed aid for the people of Ukraine to fight for their democracy.
2. Protect Social Security – Rep. Schakowsky
This amendment calls for protecting benefits for Social Security recipients and ensuring the solvency of the trust fund, for example by asking those making over $400,000 a year to contribute more to the trust fund and funding Social Security improvements by making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share.
3. Protect Medicare Benefits and Solvency – Rep. Kildee
The amendment replaces the policy statement on Medicare (sec. 406) in the Chairman's Mark with language that clearly commits to protecting and strengthening Medicare benefits for seniors and persons with disabilities.
4. Stop IRS Cuts and Go After Tax Cheats – Rep. Lee
This amendment rejects Republican cuts to the IRS and general government agencies in the Chairman's mark. It ensures that hardworking taxpayers are protected from MAGA Republican policies that benefit wealthy tax cheats and ensure that general government agencies have the support they need to combat improper payments, delivering benefits to the right people, at the right time, for the right amount.
5. Stop Budget Busting Tax Cuts for the Rich – Rep. Doggett
This amendment changes Section 302 of the bill text, which allows for unlimited budget-busting tax cuts without showing these costs in the budgetary totals. It makes this reserve fund a deficit neutral reserve fund, which would require that any tax cuts do not increase the deficit.
6. Reject Deep Cuts to Medicaid – Rep. Jackson Lee
The amendment increases funding for Function 550 (Health) by $2.2 trillion over the 10-year budget window to reject deep cuts to Medicaid and other crucial health benefits. It also strikes the Republican policy statement calling for Medicaid work requirements (Sec. 409).
7. Protecting Vulnerable Families – Rep. Omar
This amendment rejects cuts in Function 600 (Income Security), which contains vital programs protecting vulnerable families, including nutrition and housing assistance. The trillion-dollar cut to this function is a direct attack on the basic needs of the most vulnerable low-income Americans. The amendment also strikes the policy statement attacking the amount SNAP recipients receive and offsets increased funding for vulnerable families by closing corporate loopholes and requiring the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share.
8. Lower Drug Costs – Rep. Trone
The amendment strikes Section 408 of the Chairman's Mark, which attempts to weaken the historic Medicare drug price negotiation provision passed by Democrats and inserts a new policy statement on lowering prescription drug costs for American families.
9. Combat Climate Change and Invest in Clean Energy – Rep. Balint
This amendment adds a policy statement regarding climate change, highlighting the Inflation Reduction Act as the greatest federal investment in history to fight the climate crisis. It also strikes a policy statement on government deregulation, which proposes enacting several harmful Republican priorities, including H.R. 1, the Polluters Over People Act, into law.
10. Improve Access to Higher Education – Rep. Scott
The amendment increases funding for Function 500 (Education) by $400 billion over the 10-year budget window to reject deep cuts to education funding. It also strikes the policy statement on education (Sec. 405) in the Chairman's Mark.
11. Ensuring Quality and Affordable Child Care – Rep. Espaillat
This amendment adds a deficit neutral reserve fund to ensure access to quality child care through policies such as fully funding the Child Care Development Block Grant or reinstating the Child Care Stabilization Grant Program, which ended in September of last year.
###