WASHINGTON D.C. –Congressman Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ) issued the following statement after Trump released his budget for Fiscal Year 2018:

“Trump’s budget is exactly what the American people should expect from a billionaire-in-chief: tax cuts for the rich, at the expense of our most vulnerable populations,” Rep. Grijalva said. “Nothing within its pages places children, women, the elderly, disabled or low-income Americans first. Rather, it does away with essential programs that have provided a safety net for those struggling to make ends meet.

“His plan to cut education by $9.2 billion and funnel money towards charter and private schools is an assault on public education. His budget is an affront to women; programs like nutritional assistance will be cut by $192 billion and historic gains in basic women’s health coverage will be rolled back. Low-income and disabled Americans will see their benefits slashed because of drastic cuts to Medicaid and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

“In an attempt to cozy up to big business, Trump cuts the EPA’s budget by 31%, risking the water we drink and air we breathe. $1.5 billion will go to expand his ill-intentioned deportation agenda. In addition, the budget includes $2.6 billion for the border wall, which will have tremendous environmental consequences, devastate border-town economies, and would prove to be both ineffective and wasteful of taxpayer money.

“Luckily for the American people, there is a more progressive option. Unlike Trump’s budget, The People’s Budget focuses on working families and lifting them up from socio-economic inequalities while making sure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share.”