Blue Collar Caucus Statement on Trump's Devastating Budget Cuts
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen Brendan F. Boyle (PA-13) and Marc Veasey (TX-33), co-chairs of the Blue Collar Caucus, released the following statement today after President Trump unveiled his FY18 budget proposal:
"This budget represents yet another betrayal by President Trump of the working families who trusted him to work on behalf of their interests. Instead of valuing the infrastructure, workforce development, and other economic investments that workers and manufacturers rely on for their livelihoods, Trump wants to cut at least $54 billion from these programs and, in many cases, eliminate them altogether. In addition to slashing essential safety nets that help working Americans when they are unemployed or underemployed, Trump's budget disregards critical federal investments in research, energy, community development, and housing – which all directly create blue collar jobs and economic stability for the benefit of all.
"President Trump repeatedly promised a trillion-dollar infrastructure program to the American people. Yet, his first direct action on infrastructure is to take 13 percent bite from the Department of Transportation, a total of $2.4 billion dollars. Either he intends to break his promise on rebuilding our roads and bridges, or he doesn't know what he's doing. Regardless, we cannot stand idly by as he plans to eliminate funding for long-distance trains, rural airports, TIGER grants, and other investments that create good jobs and promote safety and economic competitiveness. President Trump is showing us all that he can't be trusted to follow through on the promises he has made time and time again to working Americans and industries."
The Blue Collar Caucus was formed to hold President Trump accountable for his promises to working people by fostering member discussion and legislative ideas focused on addressing wage stagnation, job insecurity, trade, offshoring, and dwindling career opportunities for those in the manufacturing and building trades. The caucus focuses on bringing together a diverse array of Democratic members of the House of Representatives to reconnect the party to blue collar workers, and generate solutions that will protect American workers from globalized competition, maintain the viability of domestic manufacturing, and help to cultivate innovative industries that can provide stable employment amid rapid technological advancement."
Current Members of the Blue Collar Caucus include: Marc Veasey (TX-33) (Co-Chair), Brendan Boyle (PA-13) (Co-Chair), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Rick Nolan (MN-08), Dan Kildee (MI-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Tim Ryan (OH-13), John Garamendi (CA-03), Louise Slaughter (NY-25), Matt Cartwright (PA-17), Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Dan Lipinski (IL-03), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Brian Higgins (NY-26), John Yarmuth (KY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Dina Titus (NV-01), Paul Tonko (NY-20), John Larson (CT-01), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Luis Gutierrez (IL-04), Cheri Bustos (IL-17), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), and Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15).
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