Cohen Statement on Paul Ryan's 2015 Republican Budget Proposal

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today made the following statement after House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (WI-01) released the House Republican FY2015 budget proposal:

“I’m not surprised that House Republicans released their budget proposal for next year on April Fools’ Day—it certainly looks like a cruel joke being played on the American people. The Ryan plan—with its gimmicks, fuzzy math, and loopholes—keeps the deck stacked against hardworking Memphians who deserve a fair shot at the American Dream. It takes away the health care security provided by President Obama’s landmark Affordable Care Act, kills jobs, ends Medicare as we know it and hurts seniors, slashes food stamps and NIH medical research programs, makes college harder to afford, and raises taxes on middle-class families to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.”

“The Progressive Democrats’ ‘Better Off Budget’ is a more effective approach for Memphis and for all of America. Our plan would create more than 8 million jobs, cut the deficit by more than $4 trillion dollars, restore unemployment insurance that out-of-work Americans rely on to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables, reverse harmful cuts that hit middle-class families the hardest, and help give Memphians who work hard and play by the rules a fair shot at success. It’s a plan that will build a strong, lasting economy that works for everyone, not just a select few.”