Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge President Trump to Reject Republican Budget Raising Costs for Families
More than 30 Democratic senators demand Trump reject GOP budget proposals “Republican budget plans do not focus on lowering costs, and in fact will raise costs for American families by forcing them to pay more for groceries, health care, education, and caregiving.”
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are demanding Donald Trump reject Congressional Republicans’ legislative plans to increase the cost of living for Americans after pledging to lower costs on “Day One” of his presidency.
The letter to Trump from Wyden, Merkley and 30 other Democratic senators —more than two-thirds of the party caucus— comes after Congressional Republicans last week approved their 2025 budget proposals for floor consideration, their blueprints for a large legislative package that they hope to pass in the coming months.
“But the Republican budget plans do not focus on lowering costs, and in fact will raise costs for American families by forcing them to pay more for groceries, health care, education, and caregiving,” wrote the senators.
The senators explained that the Republicans’ budget plans will do the following:
- Raise food costs: The Republican budget plans tee up extensive cuts to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Meals on Wheels.
- Raise health care costs: The Republican budget plans also pave the way for 15 Republican proposals to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act coverage. These Republican cuts would raise health care costs for more than 160 million Americans.
- Raise education costs: The Republican budget plans set them up to pass cuts to programs that help families afford college, including Pell Grants and income-driven repayment plans, and tax scholarships for hard-working students.
- Raise caregiving costs: The Republican budget plans pave the way to cutting programs that help families care for kids, people with disabilities, and aging loved ones. Cuts to these essential programs will make it impossible for many working families to live and work with dignity.
“If Congressional Republicans are successful at passing their proposals, it will mean that families will pay more for food, healthcare, education, and caregiving – while Republicans plot more tax cuts for billionaires,” concluded the senators. “We urge you to stand by the promises you made to the American people about lowering costs, including by committing not to sign any legislation that raises their costs.”
In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the letter was led by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. The letter was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Mark Warner, D-Va., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Peter Welch, D-Maine, Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., and Andy Kim, D-N.J.
Full text of the letter is here.
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