1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing for the fourth time to state my adamant opposition to passage of the budget bill just passed by the Senate and now returning to the HOR for final approval. It is unconscionable to make such drastic cuts to programs that support the health and lives of every working American in order to provide even more tax breaks and cuts to the already extremely wealthy of our country who, using the best accountants and tax preparers, do not even pay the extremely low percentages that they are currently required to pay. Even the President is on record bragging about how he pays as little as possible. In 2016 and 2017, he paid just $750 in net tax on his income. In 2020, he paid $0 in net tax on his income. In addition, this bill cuts our Social Security and Medicaid programs that we have paid in to for all of our working lives. By forcing Americans to work longer for less, the budget bill would cut Social Security benefits for 257 million people, or 3 in 4 Americans. According to the Social Security Administration's Congressional Statistics for December 2023, the 5th Congressional District of Texas had 141,679 Social Security beneficiaries. The bill as written will include significant cuts to Medicaid, potentially totaling hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade. This not only cuts healthcare to the most vulnerable of Americans, but will result in the closure of many rural community hospitals that rely on the funding to remain solvent. As of 2023, the Texas 5th congressional district has a 15.7% total share of residents under age 65 with Medicaid coverage. You will lose their votes in 2026 if you vote “Yay” for this bill. Finally, after all of that carnage, the bill will increase the debt. The CBO's analysis is that the bill will increase federal deficits by $4 trillion (3.94 to be exact) over 10 years and leave 10.9 million more people uninsured in 2034 according to the CBO. We will remember your party running on exactly the opposite, reducing the debt, in 2024. Promises made, promises BROKEN if you vote to pass this bill. Pass this bill at your future political peril.