Huffman Votes Against Ryan Budget

April 10, 2014

WASHINGTON­—Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) today voted against a budget that, according to the non-partisan Economic Policy Institute, will cost the economy 3 million jobs and decrease economic growth by 2.5 percent in 2016. The budget proposal authored by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, which passed the House on a largely party-line vote of 219-205, would reduce funding for infrastructure, clean energy, education, research, innovation, and manufacturing.

“Now is not the time to double down on failed austerity measures. Congress has a responsibility to help bolster our economic recovery, and the federal budget should support investments in transportation infrastructure, research and development, and education that create jobs here at home. That’s what the Van Hollen budget does, which I supported. I’m glad that our budget alternative featured provisions I have worked hard to include, including improving how we pay for wildfire response, the full support of special education, and funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund,” Congressman Huffman said. “The House budget that passed today is a step backward for Medicare, for job creation, and for education and infrastructure investments. I still maintain hope that we can work across party lines to find a way forward.”

Huffman supported an alternative proposed by Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee. That Democratic alternative included several provisions championed by Huffman, a member of the Budget Committee, including:

  • A reserve fund to accommodate regular increases in funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),
  • A reserve fund to accommodate full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and
  • A spending cap adjustment to allow enough flexibility to fund wildfire suppression operations that cannot be covered by the normal budget.

In addition, the House Democratic budget that Huffman supported:

  • Invests in the President’s multi-year surface transportation reauthorization, protecting more than 700,000 jobs,
  • Extends emergency unemployment benefits, saving 200,000 jobs this year
  • Supports an increase in the minimum wage,
  • Provides $76 billion for early childhood education and maintains other education investments, and
  • Supports comprehensive immigration reform, boosting the economy by 5.4% and reducing deficits by $900 billion over 20 years.

By contrast, the Ryan budget that passed the House today will slow economic growth and undermine the social safety net. The Ryan budget would raise taxes on middle class families with children by more than $2,000 – to pay for a more than $200,000 tax break for millionaires. For a fourth consecutive year, the Ryan budget plan would end the Medicare guarantee and raise health care costs for seniors: nearly 360,000 Californian seniors would pay more for prescription drugs due to the reopening of the Medicare Part D donut hole.

The House-passed budget also cuts elementary and secondary education and early learning programs. For example, if the proposed cuts are applied evenly, the budget plan would:

  • Reduce funding to Head Start, meaning more than 21,000 Californian children would lose access,
  • Cut by 21,140 the number of special education teachers in California,
  • Cut student aid and support by a total of $260 billion below current policy over the next 10 years, and
  • Reduce Pell Grants to college students in California by $246 million, meaning 51,350 fewer students will receive Pell Grants needed to help pay for college.