A sneak attack

Dear editor:

Excerpts from a Republican House budget per http://Congress.Gov which passed Oct. 10, 219-206:

“$3.2 trillion in new budget authority in fiscal 2018, not including off-budget accounts.”

“$1.22 trillion in discretionary spending” so now we have $4.42 trillion that doesn’t even include “off-budget?” No details on what that is.

“Repeal of the 2010 Health Care law” — The Republicans just don’t give up and don’t care what the people want these days.

Calls for “reducing spending on mandatory programs such as Medicare and Medicaid” and changing (cutting) programs such as the “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program” (also known as food stamps). It would call for restructuring Medicare into a “premium support” system beginning in

2024.” So seven years from now, when we all forget who did this to us? And what do they mean by premium support as it pertains to Medicare?

“Require the House Ways and Means Committee to report out legislation under the budget reconciliation process that would provide for a revenue-neutral, comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. tax code and would include instructions to 11 House committees to trigger the budget reconciliation process to cut mandatory spending.” Revenue neutral, of course, means that no spending without a cut somewhere else, so when they spend our money to pay for tax cuts for wealthy, we, the people, pay by not getting what we want. Yes folks, there are welfare queens, but they are on Wall Street and sitting in board rooms of multinational corporations, not the poor.

No mention of all the trillions in tax cuts that largely benefit the oil and gas companies, Wall Street and transnational corporations which is why this budget is so large, and a few crumbs thrown to the rest of us and in most cases a tax increase judging from what I’ve read and heard. I’d like to know what this “trigger” is that would cut mandatory (Medicare, Medicaid, SS) spending. Bear in mind a budget “reconciliation” means it passes with a simple majority so no filibuster by Senate Democrats to stop them. This is a sneak attack on the American people and Republicans need to be called out. Judith Zitko Hot Springs Village