Statement: MAGA Plan To Default Cuts Healthcare, Border Security, Police, Veterans’ Benefits

Returning to FY2022 levels would cut funding for over 2,000 border agents, 11,000 FBI personnel, and hundreds of local law enforcement positions and increase wait times for Social Security and veterans’ benefits 

Washington, D.C. — Today, Speaker McCarthy unveiled the MAGA House’s proposed default plan, which can be boiled down to a long list of deeply unpopular and dangerous cuts to programs that Americans rely on. Veterans, seniors, children, and rural communities are among the groups that would be most heavily impacted by cuts suggested in the proposal.

“McCarthy’s proposal isn’t a serious piece of legislation — it’s a MAGA recipe to default. The American people overwhelmingly oppose cuts to health care, veterans benefits, border patrol and police, which is exactly what this agenda will accomplish,” said Zac Petkanas, senior advisor to the House Accountability War Room. “We should tackle the deficit by raising taxes on billionaires and companies that ship American jobs overseas — not attacking the millions of Americans who rely on essential, broadly popular programs to put food on the table, access life-saving care, and pay rent. Unfortunately, as McCarthy made clear in his speech on Wall Street on Monday, MAGA House members are more concerned about the wellbeing of bankers and billionaires than the livelihoods of Americans they are currently holding hostage.”

A small sample of the impacts of the MAGA budget include:

• Taking Medicaid and food assistance away from those who don’t meet new work requirements, including those 50-65 who may have trouble finding work.

• Eviction of hundreds of thousands of families, veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities from Section 8 housing

• Loss of health care for around 2 million people, particularly people living in rural communities, who access care through Community Health Centers

• Reduction in access to veterans’ care and an increase in wait times for veterans receiving benefits

• Longer wait times for Social Security and Medicare assistance and for approval to receive disability benefits

• Loss of support for seniors, mothers, and children lacking crucial nutrition assistance, including taking away Meals on Wheels from more than 1 million seniors and WIC benefits from 1.2 million women, babies and children

• Elimination of Pell Grants for 80,000 students and reduce grant funding for millions of others

• Endangering public safety by cutting funding for over 2,000 Customs and Border Protection Agents, 11,000 FBI personnel, and hundreds of local law enforcement positions

For questions or additional commentary, please contact [email protected]. 

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