Sen. Hirono: Budget Reflects Trump’s ‘Misplaced Priorities’

Sen. Mazie K. Hirono yesterday voted against the Republican budget resolution for federal fiscal year 2018. The resolution passed on a 51-49 vote.

While the budget resolution does not become law, it outlines the budget and tax priorities that Congress will pursue in the coming year.

“This budget reflects Donald Trump’s misplaced priorities—giving tax cuts to the richest in our country and paying for it by inflicting pain on virtually everyone else. It’s yet another broken Trump promise to the middle class,” Sen. Hirono said.

The Republican tax plan would raise taxes for 123,000 Hawai‘i households in 2018.

The Republican budget’s cuts to Medicaid funding would mean that the State of Hawai‘i would be forced to cut K–12 education funding by 22%, higher education funding by 32%, criminal justice by 146% and transportation by 32%.

The Republican budget includes “reconciliation instructions” that would allow Republicans to pass tax cut legislation that increases the federal deficit by over $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, as well as legislation to approve drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with only simple majorities.