President Obama and the Republican-led house have reached an agreement to both raise the debt ceiling and cut more than one trillion dollars from the federal budget. Part of the initial cut of some $900 billion dollars is coming directly from government programs that so many hard-working Americans rely upon to make ends meet. From our initial assessment of the bill, it’s going to be a disastrous deal for people and the economy. The debt ceiling has been an excuse for conservatives to slash government all along, and they have gotten their way.
In addition to the initial cuts, the deal also calls for the creation of a bi-partisan committee to figure out ways to “save” – read: cut more from vulnerable citizens. Cutting the critical programs that working families rely upon – while simultaneously giving corporations and millionaires tax breaks – isn’t just bad policy, it’s selfish, destructive, and the reason for our nation’s deficit in the first place.
Congress did not directly cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, or, as they refer to them, “entitlement programs” (as if food, shelter, and medical attention are an entitlement). This is because of people like you that made our Caravan to Restore the American Promise such a successful effort. Instead, Congressional vultures picked away funding from food stamps, heating assistance, tuition assistance, education, health care, and other essential programs that serve the same purpose.
There’s a good chance that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will be back on the chopping block before Thanksgiving. The millionaires, billionaires, and corporations that don’t pay their fair share will be eating the money Americans need for food, jobs, and health care like a Thanksgiving turkey.
As a direct result of this agreement, the wellness and dignity of too many people are going to decline.