Washington, D.C. — Carmel Martin, Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement today on President Barack Obama’s fiscal year 2017 budget proposal:
Investing in the middle class and supporting opportunity are driving priorities in President Obama’s final budget. The proposal aims to make college more affordable, to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, and to help families balance work and family responsibilities. He proposes new targeted and innovative programs to tackle poverty and support upward mobility. The budget includes key innovation investments in medical research and supports efforts to prevent gun violence, while resources for increased cybersecurity will help protect our privacy. The budget balances new investments by reforming government programs and requiring that the wealthiest Americans and big corporations pay their fair share in taxes to ensure that the American economy works for all, not just the wealthy few.
President Obama’s budget proposal stands in stark contrast to the proposals laid out in the past by congressional Republicans, which would have turned Medicare into a voucher program, slashed federal support for education, and taken health insurance from millions of Americans by block granting Medicaid and repealing the Affordable Care Act. President Obama’s budget demonstrates that the United States can chart a fiscally responsible course that promotes economic growth and supports families without draconian cuts to middle-class and low-income programs.
Related resource: Congress Passed a Budget Deal. Now What? by Harry Stein
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