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Congressman Veasey Statement On Betrayed Promises in Trump Budget

May 23, 2017

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, Co-Chair of the Blue Collar Caucus and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on President Trump's budget proposal for fiscal year 2018:

"Trump's budget is a mob hit against hardworking American families. This budget represents yet another revoked campaign promise and makes President Trump's millionaire cronies wealthier at the expense of hardworking families. By eliminating job training programs that would boost wages and job opportunities across America, Trump is turning his back on the blue collar Americans that elected him to the presidency.

Trump's plan cruelly ransacks critical safety nets put in place to help American families who struggle to make ends meet or need additional assistance during times of unemployment. The 2018 budget calls for $190 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and cuts the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grants by $15.6 billion. For the 33rd Congressional District of Texas, this budget means that over 52,000 DFW Metroplex households currently receiving SNAP benefits will not know when next meal will come.

A federal budget should be a testament to our nation's values and priorities. President Trump apparently believes balancing the budget on the backs of hungry children, seniors, and our disabled is the American way. We must remind him that a strong national defense does not need to come at a price of leaving our most vulnerable out in the cold to fend for themselves. Our country is better served when it works in the interest of the people and not as an extension of Trump's special interest mafia."