Washington, DC—Following is a statement from Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project:
“It’s often said that a budget is, at its core, a statement of values. The Trump administration’s budget—appropriately characterized as ‘Robin Hood in reverse’—speaks volumes about the values this administration holds dear. The proposal eviscerates key safety net, enforcement, job training, and social insurance programs, all to fund a tax cut for the wealthiest in our country. Although the president pledged in his inaugural address that every decision he makes would be to benefit America’s workers, his administration’s budget betrays that promise on multiple fronts.
“To make room for massive tax cuts and tax breaks for billionaires and millionaires, the administration proposes a budget that, among other things, takes away important tools to achieve upward mobility by decimating funding for job training and reemployment programs, work study and student financial aid programs; and further victimizes workers in low-wage/low-benefits jobs by slashing funding for many of the safety net programs on which they must rely to feed, house, and care for themselves and their families.
“At the same time, the budget proposes to significantly increase funding to the Office of Labor Management Services to harass labor organizations, diverting them from their important work; and proposes to fund a pointless and racist wall on the southern border as well as mass deportation efforts that tear law-abiding families apart.
“The Trump budget will hurt working people and their families, not help them. It prioritizes giving even more wealth and power to those who already hold an abundance of both, at the expense of people who work for a living, want to send their kids to college, and are trying to save for retirement or get by on very modest means. Frankly, that’s most of America—and that’s who the Trump budget hurts most.”
