Budget Fight Warming Up: NDD United Letter and More
Tiffany Kaszuba
Good Afternoon NDD United,
Earlier today, the Steering Committee sent the attached letter to House and Senate Budget Committee Members reinforcing our positions from our February sign on letter as Congress turns to the FY 2018 budget. Congressional Democrats have also begun ramping up for the fight to raise the discretionary spending caps. Today, Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy sent this letter to Chairman Enzi and Ranking Member Sanders outlining both the damage that would be done by returning to post-sequester levels or even worse, the Trump Budget. I have included the Senator’s official statement regarding the letter following my signature block.
Tomorrow, NDD United Co-Chairs Ben Corb and Joel Packer will be joining Ranking Members John Yarmuth (Budget) and Nita Lowey (Appropriations) for a press conference calling for raising the budget caps. Details are below. If you are free, you are welcome to come watch and bring your hats! If not, there is a link to stream the event below.
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May 17, 2017 |
Contact: Sam Lau (Yarmuth), 202-226-7200 Matt Dennis (Lowey), 202-225-3481 Mariel Saez (Hoyer), 202-225-3130 Omer Farooque (Jayapal), 202-450-0088 Jason Phelps (Kilmer), 202-225-3459 |
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Tomorrow: Yarmuth, Lowey, Hoyer, Jayapal, Kilmer Call on Congress to Raise the 2018 Spending Caps
*** Media Advisory ***
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Washington, D.C. – Tomorrow, Thursday, May 18 at 10 a.m., in advance of both President Trump’s Budget and the House Republican Budget Resolution for 2018, House Budget Committee Ranking Member John Yarmuth, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, House Budget Committee Vice Ranking Member Pramila Jayapal, and House Appropriations Committee Vice Ranking Member Derek Kilmer will join representatives from NDD United at a press conference calling on Congress to raise the 2018 spending caps. If no action is taken, Congress will face irresponsible and arbitrary austerity-level caps that threaten our country’s economy, security, and standing as a global leader.
NDD United is an alliance of hundreds of national, state, and local organizations working to protect investments in core government functions that benefit all Americans. |
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WHO: |
Ranking Member John Yarmuth, Committee on the Budget Ranking Member Nita Lowey, Committee on Appropriations Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer Vice Ranking Member Pramila Jayapal, Committee on the Budget Vice Ranking Member Derek Kilmer, Committee on Appropriations Ben Corb, NDD United Co-Chair, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Joel Packer, NDD United Founding Co-Chair, Former Executive Director of Committee for Education Funding |
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WHAT: |
Press Conference Calling on Congress to Raise the Spending Caps for 2018 |
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WHEN: |
Thursday, May 18, 10 a.m. |
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WHERE:
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House Triangle Washington, D.C.
A live stream of the event will be available here.
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We look forward to seeing some of you tomorrow. J
Best,
Tiffany Kaszuba, MBA
Vice President
Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates
600 Maryland Avenue, SW
Suite 835W
Washington, DC 20024
F: 202.484.1244
Please visit our website and blog at www.dc-crd.com
Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy Outlines Consequences Of Sequestration And Trump Budget
WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, May 17, 2017) – In a letter to the Senate Budget Committee, Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday outlined the consequences of returning to post-sequestration budget caps and the dangerous cuts proposed by the Trump Administration for fiscal year 2018. The administration is expected to release its full budget next week.
In the five years since the passage of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), discretionary programs have been slashed by $2 trillion under post-sequestration budget cuts. The resulting cuts have taken their toll on everything from the readiness of U.S. armed forces, to millions of families not receiving heating assistance, and drastic cuts to federal investment in job training and employment programs.
In Fiscal Year 2018, post-sequestration budget caps are set to return under the BCA, which are $4.9 billion below fiscal year 2017 levels. This is on top of an estimated $12.8 billion shortfall due to revised fee estimates and required spending over which Congress has little control. Without a cap increase non-defense discretionary programs will have to absorb cuts $15.7 billion dollars below the fiscal year 2017 level.
On top of these cuts, President Trump has proposed slashing an additional $54 billion from non-defense programs to pay for his defense increase. Assuming, as the Trump Administration has indicated, an increase for veterans’ funding and border security, this would result in a 13 percent cut to non-defense discretionary programs.
In his letter, Leahy urges the Senate Budget Committee to reach a bipartisan agreement that would maintain parity between defense and non-defense discretionary programs and avert the devastating consequences of sequestration and the cuts proposed by the administration.
Leahy wrote: “Proposing such draconian cuts constitutes a fundamental lack of understanding of the role such programs play in securing our nation, creating jobs, caring for our veterans, promoting our health and the environment, and helping our most vulnerable citizens.”
You can read Leahy’s full letter, which details potential cuts and their consequences, HERE.
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