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JEC Report: 40 Percent of Americans Depend on Programs Republicans Want to Slash

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joint Economic Committee Democrats today released a report that finds 40 percent of Americans—nearly 130 million people—rely on programs like Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to maintain their livelihood. After driving up the debt with their tax law, Republicans now plan to slash these vital programs, forcing families and seniors in 67 million households to foot the $2 trillion bill.

“Republicans continue to advance the same failed ideas from the past—cutting taxes for the wealthy while cutting key benefits for working Americans and seniors,” said Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee. “In order to pay for a disastrous tax plan, Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration have decided to endanger the health and financial security of 130 million Americans. Democrats stand ready to build on these successful programs while tackling the issues Americans care about, such as stagnant wages, skyrocketing health care premiums, and the rising cost of prescription drugs.”

The report, “Families & Seniors Foot the Bill for GOP Tax Cuts,” shows that the Trump and Bush-era tax cuts are projected to give a $2 trillion break for the wealthiest 1 percent by 2025. Meanwhile, Republicans have proposed $2 trillion in cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the ACA between 2019-2028. The average beneficiary of these programs stands to lose an average of $1,500 per year in services or tax credits. This would translate to 3.6 weeks of unpaid work for a retail sales person earning $23,000—the most common job in America. The average household would lose over $3,000 in services and tax credits per year.

Click here to view the full report online with state-by-state data.

Click here to view the congressional district-level data.