Wyden, Welch, Merkley, Schumer, Lead Colleagues in Fight to Protect Head Start, Meals on Wheels, Social Services from Republican Budget Cuts
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Senator Peter Welch, D-Vt., a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., today led the Senate Democratic Caucus in sending an open letter to the public exposing the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans’ plan to gut Meals on Wheels, Head Start, and other essential social services.
Republican Senators are currently writing legislation that will give a tax break to the wealthiest by ripping away programs American seniors, children, and working families rely on. Republicans have targeted two essential funding sources for social services programs—Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) —putting nearly 25 million children, seniors, and families at risk across the country.
“We write to make our position on this legislation perfectly clear: Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by ripping away programs that almost 25 million Americans – close to 50% of whom are children – rely on for basic needs,” the senators wrote to the American public.
“Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed a budget that sets the stage for existential cuts to the safety net. Republican leaders claim they have no plans to eliminate essential services, but tens of billions in catastrophic cuts to these programs appeared on Republicans’ published wish list, alongside cuts to Medicaid and SNAP,” the senators continued. “State and local leaders confirm that eliminating SSBG and TANF would reduce programs that serve our most vulnerable as states and localities are already operating under tight budget constraints.”
The senators’ letter concludes: “Right now, Republicans are writing the most consequential legislation contemplated in decades entirely behind closed doors. That’s because Trump and Congressional Republicans must hide the ugly truth – their legislation feeds corporate and wealthy individuals’ greed by abandoning vulnerable children, starving seniors, and cutting off families in need. You, your family, and your neighbors deserve far better. Democrats are fighting to protect your communities from Republican cuts. Join us and keep up the fight.”
In addition to Wyden, Welch, Merkley, Schumer, the open letter to the public was signed by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, including Senators Jacky Rose, D-Nev., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Andy Kim, D-N.J., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Chris Coons, D-Del., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai'i, Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Reverend Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai'i, Jack Reed, D-R.I., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Mark Warner, D-Va., John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.
Read and download the full letter.
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