To me, Trump’s Budget, “A New Foundation for American Greatness” captures the same Nazi-esque vibe that Trump was hoping for and it should please his GOP crew. It calls for an increase in military spending of 10 percent despite recent reports of hundreds of billions of dollars in military waste, spending more than $2.6 billion for border security, huge tax reductions for the very rich and a very unlikely promise of 3 percent economic growth. Along with this, there is a $2 TRILLION counting error in the budget.
Under this plan, programs and agencies will suffer a collective $3.6 trillion in cuts over the next ten years:
- It operates on the assumption that the Affordable Care Act will be repealed and replaced.
- It significantly reduces Medicaid by $800 billion
- It discontinues student loan subsidies.
- It harpoons the food stamp program by $192 billion
- It decreases states’ highway funds
The plan would cut disability benefits by $72 billion, which will leave millions of Americans to suffer and set back rights for people with disabilities by 50 years. It would also eliminate loan programs that subsidize college education for low-income individuals and those who take jobs in government or nonprofit organizations, thereby decreasing opportunities for many of us to move up the socio-economic ladder.
This budget is the exact opposite of American “Greatness.” Trump’s budget is going allow the rich to get richer at the expense of the low-income and what’s left of the middle class.
If the budget passes, in Virginia we are going to feel the direct influence of cuts to social welfare programs. Poverty rates in Virginia increased from 2011-2014 but eventually saw a drop in 2015 to 11.2%. If Trumps budget passes, many of the programs that help people out of poverty, will no longer be readily available, thus driving us back into economic downtimes for many.
We need progressive policies to stand up to Trump such as:
- medicaid expansion in Virginia, which will provide healthcare for 400,000 uninsured Virginians while also creating new jobs and a healthy workforce
- a $15 minimum wage, which will allow families to survive without so much government assistance
- a universal Pre-K program which will allow more parents to work and children to develop a better educational foundation
- alternative energy investments, which will create employment opportunities
- broadcasting live sessions of the legislature in Virginia, which will hold our government officials more accountable while increasing transparency in our legislature
I will fight for these and many more policies that invest in the future of Virginia. It’s time to stand up for what is right, which is why I am running to represent Virginia in the VA 67 House of Delegates seat.
Virginia HD 67 — Hannah Risheq
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