February 13, 2025
Rep. Watson Coleman Fights Republican Budget Rip-Off During Marathon Markup Session
Republicans Reject Watson Coleman Amendment to Protect Medicare and Medicaid and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Today, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and her Democratic colleagues on the House Budget Committee excoriated shameless Republican attempts to rip off the American people with a budget proposal that would cut support for working families while doling out a multi-trillion dollar tax cut to the very richest Americans and adding $4.5 trillion to the national deficit.
“All day long, I listened to my Republican colleagues talk about how concerned they were about the national debt. But not once did I hear any of them successfully explain how their plan to cut taxes for the super rich, add trillions to the deficit, and choke off essential support for working families would address their concern,” said Rep. Watson Coleman.
“I introduced an amendment to the Republicans’ budget proposal that would guarantee programs like Medicare and Medicaid would not be cut — they were voted down. I introduced an amendment to ensure the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would not be the target of cuts. The CFPB has brought back over $21 billion to Americans who were scammed by big banks and fraudulent lenders. It, too, was voted down. This budget is a rip off of working Americans. My colleagues on the Budget Committee and in the House Caucus will continue to fight this every step of the way.”
Under the Republican budget plan, the 32,000 people in New Jersey’s 12th District who receive coverage under the Affordable Care Act would see their average premium go up by $1,440 per year — a 57% increase.
A 60-year-old couple with a household income of $85,000 in NJ-12 would see their health insurance costs increase by $15,702 per year — a 217% increase in premiums.
In the 12th District, the 103,196 people on Medicaid are at risk of losing their health care under Republican budget plans - this includes 49,722 children under the age of 19 and 10,164 seniors over 65 in NJ-12. Republican cuts to SNAP and WIC would also threaten the 22,942 people in NJ-12 who count on these programs to put food on the table.