For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 14, 2012
Contact: Donna De La Cruz, [email protected] (202) 339-9331

Budget Choices for Americans: Paul Ryan’s Catering to Corporations, Wealthy, or Patty Murray’s for Working Families

(WASHINGTON)—House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s “new” budget for fiscal year 2014 continues to follow a devastating path that guts programs to support our economic recovery. But Americans were offered another choice on Wednesday by Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray that offers a roadmap forward to support job creation and economic growth, especially for low to moderate-income Americans.

If Ryan’s budget is implemented, the consequences for Americans could not be clearer:

• The Ryan budget ends traditional Medicare and lets insurance companies write the rules.  These changes will double out of pocket costs for seniors. The Murray budget keeps promises made to our seniors and raises $975 billion in new revenue by closing tax loopholes and cutting unfair spending for the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations.
• The Ryan budget slashes Medicaid and other health programs by $756 billion and leaves 40 to 50 million more vulnerable Americans uninsured even as the wealthy enjoy new tax breaks. The Murray budget repeals cuts to programs American families depend on, takes our deficit seriously, and reduces health care costs by $275 billion.
• The Ryan budget would increase jobs losses to a total of 2 million in 2014 and expands incentives to ship jobs overseas. The Murray budget puts Americans back to work with $100 billion of investments to address our crumbling infrastructure, outdated infrastructure, and workforce training.

“There is too much at stake to delay a return to full employment as the Ryan budget and House Republican leaders would propose,” said Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director of the Center for Community Change. “The Murray budget and Senate Democrats offer a balanced approach that invests in the long-term stability of our nation’s future, reduces our jobs deficit, and provides opportunities for all, not only wealthy individuals and corporations.

“The Murray budget also embraces the concept of prosperity for all, where everyone in our country has the opportunity to succeed and thrive, not just the wealthiest of Americans,” Bhargava added.

###

Community Change builds the power and capacity of low-income people, especially low-income people of color, to have a significant impact in improving their communities and the policies and institutions that affect their lives. Community Change strengthens, connects and mobilizes grassroots groups to enhance their leadership, voice and power.