Spanberger: Administration’s Budget Threatens Senior Citizens, Undermines Public Education for Central Virginia Students

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement after the administration issued its topline budget for the 2020 fiscal year.

The administration’s budget proposal would slash Medicare funding by $845 billion, which would impact the care of Central Virginians who rely on this lifesaving healthcare program. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education would face a 10-percent cut to its overall funding, including a $207 billion cut to student loan programs over the next 10 years—impeding the ability of students in the Commonwealth to access an affordable higher education. The White House budget would also cut funding to the U.S. Department of Agriculture by approximately 15-percent, including a $400 million cut to broadband internet grant and loan programs that help expand high-speed internet access in rural communities. Additionally, the budget outline calls for a 24-percent cut to the U.S. international affairs budget, which includes funding for vital humanitarian and development assistance, natural disaster response, and multilateral efforts that reinforce American values worldwide.

“The President’s proposed budget hollows out vital programs and forces our senior citizens to pay the price for the administration’s repeated refusal to accept fiscal responsibility for our federal government,” said Spanberger. “In the wake of the destructive tax bill passed in the last Congress and the ensuing windfall for corporations, this budget would place the financial burden on the backs of people who can least afford it—those depending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

“The budget proposal is also a cynical attempt to take away student loan assistance for the next generation, hinder rural America’s ability to expand broadband internet access, and reduce funding for international assistance programs that help stabilize fragile states and protect American lives. Additionally, the intended cuts to the State Department signal yet another attack on our nation’s diplomatic corps and the important role they play in our national security—this budget would hamper our ability to recruit, hire, and retain a well-trained diplomatic corps. Going forward, I’ll fight to make sure these reckless and short-sighed budget priorities are reflected only on paper, not codified in law.”

Spanberger is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Agriculture Committee.

###