1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

Oppose Harmful Provisions in the Republican Budget Reconciliation Bill House Committees have been working on completing their individual portions of the budget reconciliation bill that Republicans are pushing through to enact hefty tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. To pay for these tax cuts-and take advantage of the filibuster-proof reconciliation procedure-Republicans are including many spending cuts and policy changes from their partisan wish list. In addition to gutting Medicaid, boosting ICE funding and green lighting the sale of public lands for fossil fuel production, these harmful provisions include: $351 billion in cuts to student aid. This includes new limits on Pell Grant eligibility, new caps on how much a student can borrow, roll backs of protections from predatory lenders, and a repeal of President Biden's student debt forgiveness program. $50 billion in cuts to the Federal Employee Retirement System, including significant reductions in take-home pay, retirement benefits, and protections against unjust emission technology, low-carbon materials, and alternative fuel transportation. Language pulled from the REINS Act, a long-time Republican goal, that would give Congress new control over federal rule making. This would make it easier for Republicans to roll back any regulation they don't like, including those that have already been finalized and implemented. $25 billion for a "Golden Dome" missile defense shield that utilizes space-based assets, essentially setting this up to be another government handout to Elon Musk and Spacex. A limit to federal judges' authority to hold government officials in contempt of court. A move clearly designed to defend the Trump administration from accountability for defying the courts.