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Thom's blog
Progressives Introduce The People's Budget
Republicans have unveiled their latest austerity budget, but, that's not the only budget that the media should be focusing on. While it's important that we all fight back against the Republicans' proposals to further the destruction of our social safety net, we need to be pushing hard to support the Progressive budget as well.
This week, the House Progressive Caucus - which is the largest caucus in the House of Representatives - unveiled The People's Budget: A Raise for America. Instead of slashing programs like Medicaid and food stamps, like the Republican Budget, the People's Budget would repeal the sequester cuts, strengthen the social safety net, and invest in working families.
Where Republicans want to repeal Obamacare and take subsidies away from low-income Americans, Progressives want to expand affordable healthcare by implementing a public option and negotiating lower drug prices for seniors.
Republicans want to voucher-ize Medicare, lower taxes on the rich, and increase military spending. And Progressives want to allow states to create single-payer systems, provide debt-free college to every student, and close the loopholes that allow corporations to stash billions over seas.
While Republicans are actually bragging about cutting another $5.5 trillion dollars from the federal budget, Progressives are proud to call for nearly $2 trillion dollars of investment in America's future.
There is no comparison between investing in jobs, healthcare, education, and infrastructure, and slashing our social programs with more austerity just to give billionaires another tax cut. The People's Budget is a virtual blueprint of how to put our nation back on track, and how to restore our faith in the American Dream.
These are time-tested ideas that strengthen the middle class and make those at the top pay their fair share, and it's time that our lawmakers made the People's Budget a reality.
-Thom
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