SACRAMENTO, CA — Following the July 4 signing of a sweeping federal budget reconciliation bill by President Trump, the California Budget & Policy Center (Budget Center), a nonpartisan research and analysis nonprofit, issued the following statement from its executive director, Chris Hoene:
“President Trump’s nearly 1,000-page reconciliation bill strips away health care, food assistance, and other basic supports from millions of Americans, including Californians across every congressional district in the state. At the same time, it shifts power and resources to the already wealthy and the country’s largest corporations. This legislation reflects a cruel and deeply inequitable vision for the United States: one that prioritizes tax cuts for the rich over the safety and well-being of vulnerable families, seniors, children, and immigrants.
“The bill, opposed by every Democrat and backed by every Republican in California’s congressional delegation — including Representatives David Valadao (CA-22), Young Kim (CA-40), and Ken Calvert (CA-41), whose constituents are especially vulnerable to cuts in health care and food assistance — includes billions in giveaways to corporations and the ultra-wealthy. It also calls for an unprecedented expansion of funding for detention, deportation, and the militarization of communities — a move likely to escalate the fear and intimidation Californians have already experienced in places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the Central Valley in recent months.
“While Congressional Republicans and the President are responsible for the harm this bill will cause Californians, state policymakers must commit to doing everything possible to ensure that vulnerable Californians have continued access to basic needs like health care and food assistance.
“Confronting the harm of Trump’s agenda requires bold state action, including major tax policy changes that raise the revenue needed to protect Californians from deepening hardship. As corporations reap billions in federal giveaways, California has a responsibility to claw back a share of that revenue to reduce the suffering that Californians will experience due to harmful federal policy choices.
“And addressing the harm to California’s communities can’t wait. The Budget Center urges state policymakers to reopen the state budget — in August or during a special session — to start making the necessary investments and raising the revenues needed to prepare for the devastating federal cuts that will roll out over the next year or two.
“State leaders can start by ending costly tax breaks that benefit the wealthy and large corporations — the very groups prioritized in Trump’s budget — and instead invest in the well-being of Californians.”
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About the California Budget & Policy Center:
The California Budget & Policy Center (Budget Center) is a nonpartisan research and analysis nonprofit advancing public policies that expand opportunities and promote well-being for all Californians.
