May 05, 2015

Senator Warren Delivers Floor Speech on GOP Budget's Damaging Impact on Massachusetts Families

GOP Budget Slashes Funding for Education, Infrastructure, and Research

Would Gut Critical Programs for Kids, Seniors, and Families While Giving Big Tax Cuts to the Wealthiest Americans

Video of Senator Warren's speech available here
Text of Senator Warren's speech available here

Washington, DC - This afternoon, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered a floor speech highlighting the FY16 Republican budget's damaging impact on Massachusetts families. The Senate is voting on the Republican budget this evening.

Senator Warren explained in her remarks that the Republican budget could slash key federal investments in infrastructure, education and research that benefit Massachusetts families, including 40 percent cuts over the next decade to total mandatory transportation funding.

"That is significantly fewer dollars to repair and improve our highways and to help keep our buses and trains moving in Massachusetts," the Senator said. "So if you already think we already have a crumbling infrastructure, if you are already worried about old buses and whether the T can struggle through another winter, remember that the Republicans want to slash support for transportation by 40 percent.... Economists estimate that this Republican budget could mean 56,000 fewer jobs in Massachusetts alone."

In her remarks, Senator Warren noted that cuts in the GOP budget would make college more expensive for 131,000 Massachusetts students who receive Pell grants and would significantly reduce federal investments in Head Start. She also highlighted the impact of budget cuts on Massachusetts seniors, including 80,000 seniors who would pay an average of $920 more annually for prescription drugs, 26,000 nursing home residents who rely on Medicaid and could face cuts, and 900,000 seniors who could lose free preventative Medicare health services.

"Once again...the Republicans want to give billions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans-and they expect everyone else to pay for it," Senator Warren said. "The Republicans have planned $269 billion in tax cuts that could go to just a few thousand of the richest families. That's not just irresponsible. It is just plain wrong."

She continued, "A budget is about values. The Republicans' values are on display here. This budget is about making sure that a tilted playing field tilts even further, and everyone else gets left further and further behind. Those aren't America's values. We believe - and we have always believed - in opportunity. We believe that everyone should have a fighting chance to build a better life for themselves and their children. That's the America I grew up in. That's the America we should fight for."

A video of the Senator's remarks is available here, and a PDF copy of her remarks is available here.

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