Cantwell, Colleagues Blast GOP for Proposing to Gut Funding for Meals on Wheels, Head Start, and Safety Net Programs to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires
Nearly 50,000 seniors in WA rely on Meals on Wheels and 33,000 low-income families could lose TANF assistance under GOP budget
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance, joined the entire Senate Democratic caucus in sending an open letter to the American public warning that Congressional Republicans are trying to cut funding for safety net programs like Meals on Wheels, Head Start, and others to fund tax cuts for billionaires.
Republican Senators are currently writing legislation that will give a tax break to the wealthiest by ripping away programs American seniors, children, and working families rely on. Republicans have targeted two essential funding sources for social services programs—Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) —putting nearly 25 million children, seniors, and families at risk across the country.
“We write to make our position on this legislation perfectly clear: Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by ripping away programs that almost 25 million Americans – close to 50% of whom are children – rely on for basic needs,” the Senators wrote to the American public.
“Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed a budget that sets the stage for existential cuts to the safety net. Republican leaders claim they have no plans to eliminate essential services, but tens of billions in catastrophic cuts to these programs appeared on Republicans’ published wish list, alongside cuts to Medicaid and SNAP,” the Senators continued. “State and local leaders confirm that eliminating SSBG and TANF would reduce programs that serve our most vulnerable as states and localities are already operating under tight budget constraints.”
Any cuts to these programs would have devastating effects on Washingtonians;
- Meals on Wheels served nearly 50,000 seniors in Washington state in FY 2021.
- In FY 2024, 33,068 low-income families relied on temporary cash assistance from TANF to make ends meet.
- In FY 2024, the State of Washington received $189.4 million from Head Start, and more than 15,000 children are enrolled in WA Head Start programs.
The Senators’ letter concludes: “Right now, Republicans are writing the most consequential legislation contemplated in decades entirely behind closed doors. That’s because Trump and Congressional Republicans must hide the ugly truth – their legislation feeds corporate and wealthy individuals’ greed by abandoning vulnerable children, starving seniors, and cutting off families in need. You, your family, and your neighbors deserve far better. Democrats are fighting to protect your communities from Republican cuts. Join us and keep up the fight.”
The full letter is available HERE.
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