Washington, D.C.–The Half in Ten campaign today denounced the House passage of the Budget Control Act (S.627), legislation that would raise the debt ceiling for only six months in exchange for $3 trillion in spending cuts over the next 10 years — $1.2 trillion up front and another $1.8 trillion — before the debt ceiling could be raised again.
“This is the height of irresponsibility,” said Melissa Boteach, manager of Half in Ten: The Campaign to reduce poverty by Half in Ten years. “The House plan would result in an enormous increase in poverty while setting us up for another potential default this winter. It is unconscionable to force cuts to programs helping those struggling the most while leaving special tax breaks for oil companies and hedge fund managers off the table.”
“The Boehner plan would force huge cuts in services for low-income people while asking nothing of millionaires and profitable corporations,” said Deborah Weinstein, executive director of the Coalition on Human Needs and Half in Ten partner. “Instead of focusing on solutions to our devastating levels of unemployment, the House plan will keep Congress mired in a never-ending debate over more self-inflicted default crises.”
“The cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act would have a devastating effect on the communities we represent, including people of color, young children, students, older Americans, women, the jobless, and the uninsured,” said Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Half in Ten partner. “The Senate should act quickly to reject this bill so that it can pursue a more balanced approach that includes additional revenue and protects the poor.”
These cuts would be devastating to communities across the country, including in Speaker Boehner’s district. Click here to see a profile of the Speaker’s district, including number of constituents experiencing poverty and hardship as well as number of families in Ohio’s 8th congressional district using the programs on the chopping block under the House approach.
Click here to learn more about the Half in Ten Campaign.
Click here to see why it’s absurd to cut critical services such as the Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program while leaving millionaire tax cuts untouched.
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