WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, after Republican leaders unveiled their fiscal year 2016 budget proposal, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, called it “unrealistic and unfair to middle-class families.”

The Republican budget proposal would repeal the Affordable Care Act and cut federal funding for defense and domestic programs that invest in education, infrastructure, and public safety.  Reed stated:

"This budget has a credibility deficit.  It doesn’t make tough choices, it ignores them.  Instead of taking a balanced approach that includes reforming an inefficient tax code, it protects special interests while squeezing core functions of government like education, health care, and national defense. 

“You can’t close the deficit by simply punishing the poor and protecting powerful interests.  But this budget would take affordable health coverage away from millions of Americans and force many seniors to pay more in order to maintain tax breaks for the wealthiest.  This budget is unrealistic and unfair to middle-class families.  It makes faulty assumptions that just don’t add up. 

"When it comes to funding the military, this budget would make our nation less secure.  At a time of persistent global threats, the Republican proposal fails to adequately fund our Armed Forces and would have a damaging impact on our military readiness, modernization, and the welfare of our service members and their families.

“We’ve worked hard to strengthen our economy and this budget would reverse the hard-won progress that has been made.  These proposed cuts would constrain job growth and prevent much needed investments in our infrastructure.

“Congress must work on a bipartisan basis to reject the unwise cuts imposed by sequestration, for both defense and domestic priorities alike.  But this budget is further proof that too many Republicans are still rooting for the sequester – it is what they wanted and what they’re working toward.

“What the American people want is for Congress to work together on a budget that spurs economic growth, invests in our future, and helps grow the middle-class.  I hope once this budget debate is behind us, both sides of the aisle will work to achieve those objectives.”

 -end-