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[NYCmetsfan]

The budgets adopted on March 19 by the House Budget Committee and the Senate Budget Committee each cut more than $3 trillion over ten years (2016-2025) from programs that serve people of limited means. These deep reductions amount to 69 percent of the cuts to non-defense spending in both the House and Senate plans.

Each budget plan derives more than two-thirds of its non-defense budget cuts from programs for people with low or modest incomes even though these programs constitute less than one-quarter of federal program costs. Moreover, spending on these programs is already scheduled to decline as a share of the economy between now and 2025.[1]
The bipartisan deficit reduction plan that Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles (co-chairs of the National Commission on Federal Policy) issued in 2010 adhered to the basic principle that deficit reduction should not increase poverty or widen inequality. The new Congressional plans chart a radically different course, imposing their most severe cuts on people on the lower rungs of the economic ladder.

• More than $2.9 trillion in health care reductions for low- and moderate-income people. The plan would convert Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program into a single block grant with drastically reduced funding levels. It also would repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including health reform’s subsidies to make coverage affordable for people with low or modest incomes and its Medicaid expansion. To date, the ACA coverage expansions have extended coverage to 16.4 million previously uninsured people and strengthened coverage for millions of others.
  
• $125 billion in cuts to SNAP (formerly food stamps). The House plan block-grants SNAP starting in 2021 and cuts SNAP funds by $125 billion, or more than a third, over 2021 to 2025. States would be left to decide whose benefits to reduce or terminate, but cuts of this magnitude would end food assistance for millions of low-income families, cut benefits for millions of such households, or do some combination of the two, according to a new CBPP analysis.[3]
  
• $159 billion[4] in cuts to tax credits for low- and modest-income working families. The House Budget Committee plan would allow critical provisions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to expire at the end of 2017, which would increase the number of people in poverty by an estimated 1.8 million, including 1.0 million children — and deepen poverty for another 14.6 million people, including 6.7 million children, in 2018. The House plan would also allow the American Opportunity Tax Credit to expire at the end of 2017, which would cause millions of low- and moderate-income families to lose some or all of the tax credits they receive to help offset college costs.[5]
  
• Roughly $300 billion in cuts in other mandatory (i.e. entitlement) programs serving low-income Americans, much of which is unspecified. Aside from the cuts in SNAP and refundable tax credits discussed above, the House plan cuts more than $550 billion from mandatory programs just in the education and income security categories of the budget. The Budget Committee provided few specifics here, but we conservatively estimate that about $300 billion would come from low-income programs in these areas. The Budget Committee made clear that the plan eliminates the mandatory portion of funding for Pell Grants, which help students from families with modest incomes afford college. The reduced Pell Grant funding would necessitate cuts in the program. Despite the fact that Pell Grants already cover a much lower share of college costs than they used to, the Budget Committee said its plan would freeze the maximum grant level for ten years, even as tuition and room and board costs continued to rise. Other mandatory programs in these areas that would also be candidates for significant cuts under this vague part of the plan include child nutrition programs, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for the elderly and disabled poor, and possibly the underlying refundable portion of the EITC and the underlying low-income (or refundable) component of the Child Tax Credit (CTC). In calculating the size of the cuts in programs targeted on people of modest means, we assumed that low-income program (other than SNAP) would bear their proportionate share of the remaining $550 billion in cuts in mandatory programs that the budget plan makes in the education and income security categories.
  
• About $160 billion, and maybe more, in cuts to low-income non-defense discretionary programs. On top of the significant cuts already enacted as a result of the BCA’s discretionary caps and sequestration, the House Budget Committee cuts non-defense discretionary programs about $970 billion[6] below their post-sequestration levels. About two-thirds of these cuts are located in portions of the budget that have little or no low-income programs, such as scientific research, natural resources, and transportation infrastructure. But the rest are essentially unspecified or occur in areas where low-income programs reside. Here, too, we make the conservative assumption that low-income programs would bear a proportionate share of the cuts, which is how we derive our estimate of $160 billion in reductions.

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=5289

 

[CharlieDigital]

Haven't you heard?

Both parties are teh same.

 

[A Human Becoming]

Why do Republicans hate poor people?

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

Trickle down economics guys!

 

[Maxim726X]

Why do Republicans hate poor people?

Well apparently they can get away with it, because poor people vote for them anyway.

 

[Aesius]

Why do Republicans hate poor people?

Because they don't work hard enough.

 

[BobLoblaw]

Why do Republicans hate poor people?

They either don't vote or vote Democratic. Everyone should know that at this point.

 

[Stinkles]

Poor republicans are like racists, who literally don't think they ARE racist and resent being told they are when they do racist stuff. So when poor republicans think about poor people, they think of them as "others."

 

[Wilsongt]

Republicans are scum and hate poor people. This is already known. Both parties are the same, though, right?

I guess their logic is more poor people going hungry, more people being homeless, more poor children and people dying = less people voting Democrat.

 

[robochimp]

Why do Republicans hate poor people?

Because the money to keep them functioning in the economy contributes to inflation.

 

[GK86]

Fucking Republicans. It blows they are cutting aid to college students. It has helped me (and many others) get a college education.

 

[A Human Becoming]

They either don't vote or vote Democratic. Everyone should know that at this point.

I'm not talking about how they vote, unless your answer is Republicans like to fuck over groups that don't vote for them.

 

[Brinbe]

barf... absolutely disgusting

 

[Mango Positive]

Well apparently they can get away with it, because poor people vote for them anyway.

Since hard work is so important and I work hard, it is important that other people who don't work as hard as I do don't get no free lunch (yes, I'm aware that was a double negative). Also, the preacher-man on the television told me that Jesus had endorsed the G.O.P. before he died and really, that's all I need to hear.

 

[dabig2]

They either don't vote or vote Democratic. Everyone should know that at this point.

Poor people absolutely vote for Republicans in droves. I mean, look at any impoverished white majority area in the deep South or Appalachias. They vote and they vote for whoever has an (R) next to the name no matter the negative policies enacted.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

Because the money to keep them functioning in the economy contributes to inflation.

That doesn't hurt the economy as much as contributing to the creation of a huge, unproductive underclass that will eventually end in depression and revolution, which seems to be the Tea Party MO.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Because the money to keep them functioning in the economy contributes to inflation.

What inflation? This isn't the 70s. And Europeans huge safety net and deficits are producing deflation. http://uk.businessinsider.com/eurozone-inflation-deflation-january-2015-2015-1

And they're won't be inflation if there's room in the economy which there is. More money doesn't = more inflation automatically.

They don't are about inflation they care about taxes, thats the raison d'etre of the republican party. Lower taxes on the wealthy, cutting spending is just the means to do this and justify it.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Keep wage levels roughly the same as 20 years ago letting all growth accumulate at the top. Cut social programs that millions rely on in part because of growing income disparity. Gut Education creating further reliance on future govt aid. Cut taxes for the wealthiest in the country. Increase the amount of money spent on defense. Start up another war, this time with Iran.*

Fiscal conservatism at its finest.

* - Pending 2016 elections.

 

[Piggus]

Any republican Gaffers brave enough to defend this bullshit?

Absolutely disgusting.

 

[Anoregon]

I can't wait for like 40 years from now when they are still trying to repeal the ACA.

 

[Mr.Swag]

Got to widen that gap

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Hey, budget cuts hurt everyone! But, of course, you can't hurt job creators. Cuts need to happen, though! For...reasons...

 

[Funky Papa]

Of course, Democrats won't tell you about how many bootstraps will be sold as a result.

 

[subrock]

Love that Obama is petty and uppity when he plays with optional FEMA money for a single state, but it's business as usual when Republicans fuck an entire country.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

If social programs/welfare/etc was the main reason for out national debt being 18 trillion, then there wouldn't be this many people living pay check to pay check.


The issue with the debt is a non issue for normal people. At least it isn't their fault. If you look at the 18 trillion as money distributed to the public, who do you blame for the debt? The common folk or the group that own all the money?

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Hey good job not showing up to the polls in a midterm year!

 

[XenodudeX]

They can pretty much pass this without much trouble as well. Sigh

 

[CharlieDigital]

Love that Obama is petty and uppity when he plays with optional FEMA money for a single state, but it's business as usual when Republicans fuck an entire country.

 

[Sobriquet]

They either don't vote or vote Democratic. Everyone should know that at this point.

A lot vote Republican. Just like a large chunk of Romney's 47% are Republicans.

 

[FTF]

How does the Republican Party seriously think they can win next year when they keep piling on their already terrible reputation/image with things like this?

Am I just out of touch with how much influence the South and Midwest have since I live in NY?

 

[speculawyer]

That's what Jesus would do.

 

[Kevin]

Republicans only support the rich. Americans continue to some how be surprised that the party they keep voting in, doesn't give two shits about them if they are not wealthy.

 

[Saganator]

Why do Republicans hate poor people?

The sad thing is, there are tons of poor republicans. They're duped into voting against their own self-interest every time. They see themselves as millionaires who are temporarily poor.

 

[chaosblade]

So their logic is

1. Cut spending in these programs
2. Reduce taxes on "job creators"
3. "Job creators" create more jobs because they have money money due to lower taxes
4. More people get better jobs
5. These programs that were slashed are less necessary

That must be a nice fantasy world they live in, because nothing after point 2 is rooted in reality.

 

[AxelFoley]

Well apparently they can get away with it, because poor people vote for them anyway.

Yup, poor Red Staters loved them some GOP.

 

[The Technomancer]

The sad thing is, there are tons of poor republicans. They're duped into voting against their own self-interest every time. They see themselves as millionaires who are temporarily poor.

I don't even think its that anymore. They just see abortion and religious values as more important.

 

[Sobriquet]

I don't even think its that anymore. They just see abortion and religious values as more important.

And guns. Don't forget about the guns.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Yup, poor Red Staters loved them some GOP.

because they're distracted by jesus, guns, and the gay marriage.

 

[Salvadora]

They can pretty much pass this without much trouble as well. Sigh

Can it be vetoed by Obama?

 

[dabig2]

Love that Obama is petty and uppity when he plays with optional FEMA money for a single state, but it's business as usual when Republicans fuck an entire country.

It's even more hilarious when you consider that Republicans have literally wrote bills to defund and abolish FEMA. It was a position of Romney's during the 2012 campaign.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Movin' on up

To the east side!!!!!!

 

[Gr1mLock]

The Republican party should just change their name to 'Shut the fuck up and pump my gas you worthless commoner filth' party.

 

[GrizzleBoy]

That's what Jesus would do.

"The Christian right!!!!!".

 

[Poodlestrike]

They can pretty much pass this without much trouble as well. Sigh

Nah. It'll never clear the senate, and everybody paying attention knows it. This is not a realistic budget.

 

[Deadbeat]

And guns. Don't forget about the guns.

Which is funny as the republicans have pushed through gun control bills as well. Reagan closed the machine gun registry for example. Bush even said if the assault weapons ban hit his desk, he would have extended it.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

I'm shocked there aren't more calls for people to write their senators and government officials and fuck em posts like in the Florida FEMA thread. Or question who showed up to the polls.

I feel like a lot of this could have been prevented if democrats treated mid term elections as important as presidential ones.

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

it will be good to get all of these folks on record voting to slash and transform Medicare, Medicaid, raise the retirement age to 70, etc. unless they are in safe or grossly gerrymandered districts, this will not go well for them in 2/4/6 years. Control of both houses=put their money where their mouth is. Kind of refreshing, actually, compared to the endless harping of a party with zero power.

 

[Jenov]

Ugh, so evil.

 

[Banzai]

I'm not exactly a political person but as an outsider looking in I really dont get how republicans have any sort of political power in your country. Based on some of the shit I read they should just be regarded as elitist lunatics who dont get any say at all.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

I'm not exactly a political person but as an outsider looking in I really dont get how republicans have any sort of political power in your country. Based on some of the shit I read they should just be regarded as elitist lunatics who dont get any say at all.

Because freedom, liberty, military and bootstraps.