Photo: Flickr (March 20, 2010)
Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan introduced the House Republican budget for 2015.
The plan, called "The Path to Prosperity," cuts $5.1 trillion in government spending, which includes repealing Obamacare (or The Affordable Care Act), making deep cuts to education, adding more money to national security, reforming the broken safety net (or welfare) system and ending the current Medicare guarantee.
Ryan said the proposed budget, according to the Congressional Budget Office, not only would boost the economy but also balances the budget within ten years.
"This is a plan to balance the budget and create jobs, and it builds off a simple fact: We can't keep spending money we don't have," said Ryan in a press statement. "Too many Americans struggle to make ends meet, while Washington continues to live beyond its means. It's irresponsible to take more from hardworking families to spend more in Washington."
Chris Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said the claim that this Republican budget balances in 10 years "is simply a fraud."
"Their budget would not balance without the reforms and savings we made in the Affordable Care Act, which they have voted to repeal or undermine more than 50 times and claim to repeal again in their budget. They cannot have it both ways," said Van Hollen.
But Ryan insists the Republican version is proof that it's not too late to tackle the country's most pressing challenges: "By cutting wasteful spending, strengthening key priorities, and laying the foundation for a stronger economy, we have shown the American people there's a better way forward."
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, who represent's Brooklyn's 8th District, issued a statement denouncing the budget:
"Once again, the Ryan budget makes draconian cuts to our social safety net programs while protecting wasteful corporate loopholes and cutting taxes for the wealthy," said Jeffries.
"The Republican Budget is a product of the same reckless world view that shutdown the government for sixteen days to satisfy the ideological thirst of extreme right wing conservatives. I strongly oppose the adoption of the Ryan budget, and will work hard to make sure that it is once again banished to the dustbin of history."
