Rep. Ron Kind Votes Against Ryan Budget

Press Release

Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)voted today against the Republican Budget proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). This unbalanced plan prioritizeshuge tax breaks for millionairesand special interests over protecting investments for working families and the safety net for our seniors and the most vulnerable Americans.

"There are much smarter ways to balance our budget than by cutting critical investments in health care, education and economic development," said Kind."We need to reduce spending and get our budget deficits under control but the Ryan Plan is blatantly unbalanced in favor of the wealthiest among us. If the majority party was serious about balancing the budget, then almost one-third of the plan's budget cuts wouldn't be unspecified."

The Republican Budget calls for repealing the coverage expansions and consumer protections in the Affordable Care Act while counting on the law's savings and new revenues to balance their budget. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office analyzed a nearly identical Medicare voucher proposal last year and found that the Ryan Budget could cost seniors up to an additional $2,200 per person by 2030 and up to $8,000 more per year by 2050.The plan also calls for converting Medicaid into a block grant and slashing federal funding for the program by $810 billion over the next ten years, which would cut Medicaid funding by almost one third by 2023.

"The Ryan Budget doesn't address the high cost of health care, and shifts costs onto seniors and future retirees," Kind continued. "What we should do to lower costs is pay providers based on the quality and value of care they deliver instead of the number of services performed."

The Ryan Budget also hurts students by cutting Pell Grant funding by $98 billion over 10 years and lets student loan interest rates double in July, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. The Republican plan also dramatically cuts elementary and secondary education programs.

"Gutting funding for our schools will have a lasting economic impact that will put America behind in the global economy," concludedKind. "This plan could cost two million jobs next year and increase middle class taxes by as much as $3,000. The American people want and deserve better than more tax breaks for the wealthy and cuts to critical investments that impact middle-class families."

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