House passes draconian budget

America already is thirdworldized. Majority House members deepened it.

On Wednesday, the Senate Budget Committee began marking up its version, likely similar to House legislation when completed.

Budgets represent a step toward congressional work on cutting taxes. If achieved, it’ll look nothing like what Trump’s Goldman Sachs Mnuchin and Cohn duo proposed.

On Thursday, House members voted 219 to 206 to slash funding for Medicare, Medicaid, other healthcare services, education, food stamps, Pell grants, income security programs for the poor, other low-income services, nutrition assistance, federal pensions, other social programs and infrastructure by $5.8 trillion over the next 10 years, gutting remaining social safety net protections—while prioritizing military spending along with tax cuts for corporate America and high net-worth households.

All undemocratic Dems joined by 18 Republicans voted against the measure. The House bill included a procedure for fast-tracking tax legislation, permitting Senate passage by 51 votes, rather than 60 usually required for this type legislation, a possible Dem filibuster also eliminated.

If tax legislation is enacted, around 80% of the cuts will go to the top 1% over the next decade, most US households benefitting pathetically little if at all, some hit with higher taxes.

Americans for Tax Fairness executive director Frank Clemente issued a statement saying, “This budget resolution is the first step toward an immoral tax scheme that will hand trillions of dollars to millionaires and corporations at the expense of millions of America’s working families, many of whom will actually see a tax increase.”

“These tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations will ultimately be paid for by cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, education, disability services, and other national priorities, while the expansion of the deficit will further threaten Social Security. The Republicans who voted to advance this plan owe their constituents an explanation.”

Ranking House Budget Committee Dem member John Yarmuth said, “This budget isn’t about conservative policy or reducing the size of our debt and deficits.” They’ll explode under tax cuts for the rich Trump favors.

“It’s not even about American families,” Yarmuth added. “This budget is about one thing—using budget reconciliation to ram through giant tax giveaways to the wealthy and big corporations—and to do it without bipartisan support.”

Austerity is the law of the land, along with wealth distribution to privileged Americans, ushered in by Obama, Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress escalating what he and undemocratic Dems began.

Big business and America’s rich benefitted hugely, greater benefits coming, ordinary people increasingly on their own.

It’s the wrong time to grow up in the country. A dismal future awaits most Americans, not afforded opportunities youths had long ago.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

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