February 11, 2020

Voto Latino Condemns Latest Trump Budget Proposal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC – In 2015, then-candidate Donald Trump said, “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid. Every other Republican’s going to cut, and even if they wouldn’t, they don’t know what to do because they don’t know where the money is. I do. I do.” That was a lie. In his State of the Union address just a week ago, President Trump said, “We will always protect your Medicare and we will always protect your Social Security. Always.” That was a lie as well.

Trump’s $4.3 trillion budget proposal is nothing more than a blatant attack on our country’s values and social safety net. The programs targeted have provided unparalleled upward economic mobility and embody the very essence of the American Dream. This president, never having needed financial assistance beyond what his father provided, cannot fathom the severe toll these cuts will have on the American people, in particular an entire generation of American children.

“Donald Trump has once again shown his disdain for children, the elderly, the working poor, students, our public lands, and our everyday health,” said María Teresa Kumar, president and CEO of Voto Latino. “This new budget proposal from the Trump administration takes aim at everything we hold dear as Americans: education, clean water, parks, even funding to prevent communicable diseases. His budget proposes building a cement wall between our today and our tomorrow, undermining a century’s worth of progress in one fell swoop. We urge Congress to stand together regardless of party and reject it as a negotiating point.”

While the proposal directly slashes Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, and Social Security – programs necessary for millions of Americans to maintain a dignified quality of life – it also includes cuts to the EPA and the Departments of the Interior, Education, and Health and Human Services, vastly curtailing federal agencies tasked with improving peoples’ lives.

Voto Latino will continue to educate, engage and empower the Latinx community to register to vote and then make its voice heard at the polls in November. The president has shared his priorities and they don’t align with those of the Latinx community who believe that in this great nation every child deserves quality education, clean air, healthy meals and affordable housing with dignity.

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About Voto Latino
Voto Latino is a pioneering civic media organization that seeks to transform America by recognizing Latinos’ innate leadership. Through innovative digital campaigns, pop culture, and grassroots voices, we provide culturally relevant programs that engage, educate and empower Latinos to be agents of change. Together, we aim to build a stronger and more inclusive democracy.