Congressman Steven Horsford Grills Trump Administration Official on Destructive Trump Budget Cuts
Washington, D.C. — In a House Budget Committee hearing today, February 12, 2020, Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) questioned Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought on the disastrous impacts on Nevada that would come from the Trump Administration's proposed budget for the Fiscal Year 2021.
"When the 2017 Congress, along with the President, passed the Jobs and Tax Cut Act, we were worried that this day would come—where the proposal would be made to balance those tax cuts on the working people of this country. We now know that that tax cut has added $1.9 trillion to the deficit," Congressman Horsford said to Director Vought. "And you're here today to defend a [proposal] that seeks to balance our budget on the backs of working Americans."
The Congressman specifically addressed the administration's proposed $182 billion cuts over ten years to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. When Director Vought attempted to equivocate on the impact of those cuts, Congressman Horsford highlighted that cutting access to SNAP will not help working Americans, 53 million of whom work full-time and only make $18,000 per year.
He also addressed other ways the President's budget proposal attacks Nevada, such as eliminating $1.7 billion dollars from the Corporation for Travel Promotion, also known as Brand USA. In 2018 alone, Brand USA brought over 1.1 million international visitors to the United States, including to Nevada, created 52,000 American jobs, and generated a total economic impact of $8.9 billion.
The budget proposal also completely eliminates $230 million in funding for the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA), which funds the State of Nevada General Education Fund and the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
"Sweeping money from the children of Nevada to balance your budget on the backs of working Americans after giving a tax cut to the very wealthy and big corporations is not going to happen," Congressman Horsford said. "Not on my watch."
The full exchange can be watched and downloaded here.