Washington, D.C.– Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), today introduced the fiscal year 2012 People’s Budget on behalf of the CPC at a press conference near the steps of the Capitol. The budget will be debated on the floor of the House on Thursday alongside other FY12 budget proposals, including Republican Rep. Paul Ryan’s proposal that would end Medicare and Medicaid in their current forms and make deep cuts to education.

“This budget is a statement of values for the Progressive Caucus and the American people,” Grijalva said. “The People’s Budget generates a government surplus by 2021 by closing tax loopholes, ending corporate giveaways to oil, gas and nuclear entities that don’t need free taxpayer money, bringing our troops home and ending unneeded weapons programs, and creating jobs that expand the American tax base. This is a sensible solution that listens to what the American people have said about where our budget priorities should be.”

World-renowned economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University endorsed the People’s Budget in an article at the Huffington Post, which is available at this link. Dr. Sachs spoke alongside Rep. Grijalva and others at today’s press conference in favor of the proposal.

More information is available at the CPC budget Web page. A video of Rep. Grijalva and other experts introducing the budget is available at this link. The budget and related information is also reviewable at http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov under “Issues.”