MDP Statement on the Passage of Trump's Devastating Budget Bill

Helena, MT - In response to the passage of Trump and the GOP’s disastrous budget bill, Montana Democratic Party Interim Executive Director Justin Ailport released the following statement:

“It truly is a somber day for the American people. Montana’s all-Republican congressional delegation proved they’re nothing but cowardly stooges that will do just about anything to please Donald Trump– even at the expense of their constituents. 

The impacts of this big, terrible bill will truly be devastating. Tens of thousands of Montanans will lose their health insurance. Rural hospitals in Montana will close or face reduced services. Friends and neighbors will go hungry. Jobs will be cut. Energy costs will go up.

This bill was custom-tailored to give billionaires and the ultrawealthy taxbreaks while screwing over everyday, working Montanans. The price tag for this bill is astronomically high and will explode our national deficit by over $3 trillion. 

Make no mistake, despite the disastrous setbacks Republicans are imposing on this country, Democrats in Montana and across the country will never stop fighting.”

Here’s how this bill will impact Americans:

• Cuts $1.3 trillion in food assistance and health coverage while giving the wealthy that exact amount in tax breaks 
• Rips away health care from 17 million Americans through over $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act — including the largest cut to Medicaid in American history 
• Puts over 300 rural hospitals at risk of shutting down or reducing services, ripping away critical, lifesaving care from hundreds of rural communities across the country  
• Puts roughly 5 million Americans — about 1 in 8 SNAP participants — at risk of losing food assistance, costing American farmers over $36 billion in revenue.
• Adds $3.25 trillion to the national debt, while revenues fall by $4.47 trillion 
• Forces at least 1 in 4 nursing homes to close their doors 
• Puts 1.75 million construction jobs at risk — with unions warning, “this stands to be the biggest job-killing bill in the history of the country”
• Puts 2 million clean energy jobs at risk 
• Jack up energy bills by hundreds of dollars across the country