Tag: Republicans

  • Larson Opposes Republican Bill to Cut Taxes for Billionaires by Kicking Millions off Health Care and Food Assistance

    Larson Opposes Republican Bill to Cut Taxes for Billionaires by Kicking Millions off Health Care and Food Assistance

    From the website of John Larson:

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted against the Republican bill that cuts taxes for billionaires by slashing Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP nutrition benefits. Now that it has been approved by the House and the Senate, the bill heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature. 

    “It has always been President Trump’s number one priority to make his tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, and that is exactly what this bill does,” said Larson. “What he does not mention is that it pays for those tax breaks by kicking 17 million Americans off their health care and raising premiums for others, slashing food assistance and student aid, and exploding the national debt. This bill is unprecedented in both how big of a tax cut billionaires like him and Elon Musk will receive, and also how it will hurt children, the elderly, the disabled, and our nation’s veterans. During an inflationary time when people are struggling to make ends meet, it is hard to understand how my Republican colleagues can look themselves in the mirror and vote to raise costs on the middle- and working-class people of our country, all so the wealthy can get another tax cut they do not need. Democrats will continue to shine a light on these devastating cuts. We remain focused on not only protecting but enhancing programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security for America’s working families and seniors.”  

    The Republican ‘Big, Ugly Bill:’ 

    • Provides an average annual tax cut of $309,000 for the wealthiest 0.1% while individuals making $50,000 see a benefit of only $0.67 per day 
    • Kicks 17 million Americans off Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, including 186,580 Connecticut residents 
    • Hikes health care premiums for the average CT-01 enrollee on the Access Health CT exchange by $1,550/year 
    • Slashes SNAP nutrition benefits by $186 billion, ensuring at least 34,000 Connecticut residents see their benefits cut or eliminated 
    • Triggers nearly $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, reducing funding for doctors and hospitals 
    • Moves up Social Security’s insolvency to 2032, forcing across-the-board benefit cuts if no action is taken 
    • Raises energy costs by $344/year for the average Connecticut household 
    • Reduces or eliminates Pell Grants for 43,735 college students in Connecticut
    • Increases the national debt by $3.94 trillion over the next ten years   
  • Rocky Hill Congressman John Larson Demands Answers from Musk-Trump and House Republicans on Social Security

    Rocky Hill Congressman John Larson Demands Answers from Musk-Trump and House Republicans on Social Security

    On March 12, 2025, Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee voted to block Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson’s (CT-01) Resolution of Inquiry from coming before the full House for a vote.  

    Ranking Member Larson’s Resolution of Inquiry, cosponsored by every Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, would compel President Trump to disclose to Congress information about ‘DOGE’ activity at the Social Security Administration, including their plans to close field offices or cut staff. 

    John Larson’s full remarks:

    Thank you, Mr. Neal, and thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I said earlier, it’s a sad day for America. When the Committee of cognizance has to have this issue of inquiry, so that we can actually produce before the committee, instead of an empty seat and empty chairs, the person who President Trump has designated to find $2 trillion worth of cuts, a person who has publicly said that he knows where to find those. They’re in what he calls entitlements — what everybody on this committee knows, with regard to Social Security, is an earned benefit that they pay.  

    And so the people in your districts are wondering whether or not — because the chairman just said that there’s no way that President Trump is going to touch Social Security — even though last weekend he called it a scam. And that Elon Musk was on television just last night again saying that yes, their goal is to privatize Social Security.  

    Given these statements, I don’t understand why there’s a problem with bringing forth Mr. Musk to testify before this committee. And if all these ideas of fraud, abuse, and waste are true, then yes, Mr. Chairman, we should join with you to make sure that that’s the case. 

    But even the acting [Social Security Commissioner] hand-picked by Trump has said: ‘well, what they said about people receiving checks older than 115 years old is false.’ 

    That’s Trump’s appointment saying that. 

    And so, we continue to get the ‘Big Lie,’ including this weekend again. Where they said, oh yes, and the Democratic plan is to bring illegal immigrants into the country by offering to pay them Social Security. There’s not a thread of truth to any of that. 

    And yet, this unaccountable person, not a federal employee, not a volunteer, but a special person who’s not had to go through Senate approval, and who this committee is now saying ‘yes, we agree with the president. He should not be accountable. He should be able to have free reign and do whatever he wants. We will willingly follow him and do whatever he says because he’s the wealthiest man in the world, and surely, he must know how to save us from ourselves.’ 

    This program of Social Security that oh just happens to be the number one anti-poverty program for the elderly and for the children of this country. Yeah, I agree, Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump aren’t going to lose a moment’s sleep thinking about the privatization and what it means to those individuals.  

    And yes, you can say that he’s not going to do this, but yet there’s no commissioner here, no person under oath raising their hand and saying, ‘yes, no, we have no intention of privatizing Social Security.’  

    He’s made it clear time and time again, and if not, well, by all means, we’ll be happy to have him here.  

    We’ve sent letters. Chairman Estes knows — three weeks ago, I sent a letter asking for him to come immediately before the subcommittee, and we’ll continue to do that because we want to hear, as does the American public, the truth. 

    Read more on John Larson’s website.