Schatz and Gabbard Denounce Trump’s Proposed Budget Cuts

President Donald Trump’s team released its first full budget proposal today, and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) says the 2018 Budget Blueprint gives massive tax breaks to the wealthy, while cutting vital health, welfare, environmental, infrastructure, education and jobs programs for the American people.

Rep. Gabbard warned that the Trump Administration’s 2018 Budget Blueprint puts the health and safety of the most vulnerable in the country at risk with massive cuts to government programs that spur economic growth and provide critical services.

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) also denounced President Donald Trump’s budget proposal and immediately labeled it “dead on arrival.”

“President Trump’s budget proposal is not just radical, it’s cruel. But make no mistake – this budget is dead on arrival. When the administration tried to cut these programs for this fiscal year, we didn’t let it happen. This time is no different,” said Sen. Schatz. “I will fight as a member of the Appropriations Committee to protect the programs that make our local economy and our communities stronger.”

In a speech on the house floor today, Rep. Gabbard said, “In my home state of Hawai’i, this budget zeros out federal funding for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant, the Native Hawaiian Loan Guarantee Program, and cuts Native Hawaiian Education programs by $33 million dollars, crippling the progress that’s been made for over 30 years to strengthen Native Hawaiian early education, literacy, gifted and talented education programs, higher education, vocational programs and more. I strongly oppose this budget, and look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to pass a budget that actually serves the people and our planet.”

Rep. Gabbard said the budget slashes $1.4 trillion from programs that families in Hawaiʻi and across the country depend on, including:

· $610 billion in cuts to Medicaid that serves over 348,000 people in Hawaiʻi

· $191 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that serves over 170,000 people in Hawaiʻi

· $72 billion in cuts to the Social Security’s disability program, which serves over 19,000 people in Hawaiʻi

· $143 billion from federal student loans, including the elimination of federally subsidized loans and loan forgiveness programs that serve Hawaiʻi nurses, police officers, and teachers

· $40.4 billion in cuts to the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, which assist one in eight Hawaiʻi keiki living in poverty

Sen. Schatz added the Trump proposal would cut programs critical to families in Hawai‘i and across the country including:

· Medicaid
· Native Hawaiian Education Act Program
· Children’s Health Insurance Program
· Social Security Disability Insurance
· Planned Parenthood
· Public health preparedness programs, which help to prepare Hawai‘i and other states for outbreaks like dengue and Zika
· Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program)
· Emergency Medical Services for Children Program
· Social Services Block Grant, a program that helps support children and families in need
· Community Development Block Grants, a program that helps local governments fund affordable housing and anti-poverty projects
· National Park Service
· National Institutes of Health
· Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8 housing)