As they prepare to take control of Congress, Republicans are considering drastic changes to social safety net programs to offset the cost of their tax agenda, which is expected to benefit wealthy individuals and corporations.
Congressional Republicans are reportedly considering new work requirements for recipients of Medicaid and nutrition assistance as well as spending caps for the programs as potential ways to counteract the massive cost of their tax agenda, which would primarily benefit the rich and large corporations.
The Washington Post reported Monday that Republicans, who are poised to take full control of the federal government come January, 'have begun preliminary discussions about making significant changes to Medicaid, food stamps, and other federal safety net programs to offset the enormous cost of extending' soon-to-expire elements of the regressive tax law that President-elect Donald Trump signed in year one of his first White House term.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this year that an extension of the 2017 tax cuts would add $4.6 trillion to the U.S. deficit over the next decade. Republicans have made clear that tax legislation is a top priority in the next Congress, and they're preparing to use a fast-track procedure known as reconciliation to ram a new round of tax cuts through.According to the Post, members of Trump's transition team have discussed with GOP lawmakers and aides the possibility of adding punitive new work requirements and spending caps to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Research and real-world experience have consistently shown that work requirements do virtually nothing to boost employment while making it harder for people in need to receive aid.'To pay for tax cuts for their billionaire donors, the GOP wants to make food and healthcare unaffordable and inaccessible for the most vulnerable people in our country,' Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) wrote in response to the Post's reporting. 'Make no mistake on who they're serving.''We already knew the push to cut taxes for the wealthy next year was going to be costl
TAX CUTS MEDICAID SNAP WORK REQUIREMENTS REPUBLICANS
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