It may be hard to imagine, but Republicans are exploding the budget deficit and the national debt while slashing health care and education, all to give more tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
The facts are clear.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the House GOP bill would result in “an increase in the federal deficit of $3.8 trillion.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) pooh-poohs the CBO, failing to recognize that the agency’s director, a veteran of Republican administrations, was appointed jointly by Democratic and Republican leaders. With typical partisan hypocrisy, the Speaker was happy to rely heavily on CBO when they declared Democratic budgets would add to the deficit, but demurs when the shoe is on the other foot.
However, CBO is hardly alone. While there are differences on the exact number, every nonpartisan analysis agrees on the underlying fact that the Republican bill will increase the deficit.
The Tax Foundation says the GOP bill will raise the deficit by $2.6 trillion, while the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget argues the bill “would add $2.5 trillion to primary deficits over the coming decade, adding $3.1 trillion to the debt including interest. If its temporary provisions are extended without offsets, we estimate it would add $5.1 trillion to the debt including interest.” The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates “the House-passed reconciliation bill increases primary deficits by $2.8 trillion over 10 years.”
No reputable, independent analyst has even attempted to argue that the Republican bill would not increase the deficit and the debt. Few other than President Trump, his employees and Johnson are willing to lie so blatantly.
There is also no denying that the Republican budget decimates health care and education.
The health care cuts derail research and impair patient care.
The American Cancer Society, an obviously nonpartisan organization, laments the impact of the 37 percent cut to the National Institutes of Health, “These cuts pose a major threat to the ongoing fight against cancer, especially for research, prevention and screening services.”
Of course, those cuts affect more than cancer patients. The Alzheimer’s Association maintains the cuts “will limit our nation’s ability to address the needs of people living with dementia and their caregivers and set research advancements back decades.”
The American Diabetes Association explained the effects on their patients this way: “These cuts would undercut extensive and long-standing research studies to improve diabetes treatment, self-management tools….and potentially derail an imminent type 1 diabetes cure.”
Nearly two-thirds of nursing home residents are covered by Medicaid which Republicans slated for over $700 billion in cuts. The result — disastrous effects on the health, safety and quality of life for nursing home patients, in addition to taking away health care coverage from 8.6 million others.
How do voters feel about cutting health care?
Kaiser Family Foundation polling found 76 percent of Americans, including 55 percent of Republicans, oppose cutting Medicaid and 69 percent of Americans oppose cuts to medical research at universities and medical centers.
Education is also on the GOP chopping block, with the House passing some $6 billion in cuts to K-12 schools, and another $4.3 billion in cuts to higher education.
The former target teacher training and student mental health (just as Republicans continue to blame school shootings squarely on those with mental health issues), while the latter focus mainly on making it more expensive for students to attend college.
And how does the public feel about gutting education?
Americans oppose dismantling the Department of Education by over two-to-one, while just 10 percent support a reduction in education spending. In fact, 59 percent want increased K-12 spending.
Why are Republicans courting massive public outrage for exploding the deficit while slashing education and health care?
The sad answer: because they are most deeply committed to giving more tax breaks to billionaires.
Republicans’ budget calls for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, with the benefits flowing mainly to the super wealthy.
Those who make over $3.5 million a year, the richest 0.1 percent, would enjoy an average tax cut of $314,000 per year. Those approximately 200,000 multi-millionaires would end up with more tax cuts than the 187 million families with incomes in the bottom 60 percent.
The story is simple and clear: To pay for more tax breaks for billionaires, Republicans are slashing health care and education while exploding the deficit and national debt.
Mellman is president of The Mellman Group a consultancy that has helped elect 30 U.S. senators, 12 governors and dozens of House members. Mellman served as pollster to Senate Democratic leaders for over 30 years and is a member of the American Association of Political Consultants’ Hall of Fame.