Deluzio on Republican Budget: “Fiscally Reckless Grift" that will “Plunder Healthcare” to “Enrich Huge Corporations and the Ultra-Rich”

WASHINGTON, D.C – Ahead of today’s vote on the House Republican budget resolution (H.Con.Res 14), Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released the following statement:

“The Republican budget resolution is a fiscally reckless grift that will pillage our government and plunder peoples’ healthcare all to enrich huge corporations and the ultra-rich.

“Their proposal would add $1.6 trillion to the deficit—saddling all of us with debt. My hard-working constituents need a tax cut, not more debt to pay for giveaways to billionaires and massive corporations. 

“I’m a ‘no’ on this fiscally dangerous Republican plan to cut healthcare for more than 117,000 of my constituents in Western Pennsylvania, all to funnel money to the richest and most powerful while ballooning the deficit.” 

Ahead of the vote, Congressman Deluzio submitted an amendment to the House Rules Committee that would have protected the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from any reduction in funding. The CFPB is the government agency created after the 2008 financial crisis to act as the financial cops on the block to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive corporate practices. Right now, the CFPB has 38 enforcement cases pending against big corporations that could bring back millions of dollars to Americans that were victims of scams. Despite conducting this important work to save Americans money and protect the public from financial crimes, the amendment was not accepted by the Republican-controlled House committee. 

Analysis from the Center for American Progress finds that the Republican budget resolution up for a vote today would require at least $880 billion in cuts to healthcare programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through 2034. On average, it would cost congressional districts around $2 billion and could eliminate healthcare coverage for close to 16 million people—nearly 1 in 4 Americans. In Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District, more than 117,000 adults and children get their healthcare through Medicare and CHIP and stand to lose $1.47 billion in funding. 

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