Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement in reaction to the Trump Administration’s proposed budget and infrastructure plan.
“President Trump has offered two proposals that threaten Nevada’s economy and the most vulnerable in our communities. This budget is nothing less than an assault on the health care of Nevadan’s by cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare and targeting vulnerable families by ending Medicaid as we know it. It makes short-sighted and unnecessary changes to Pell Grants and student loan programs that would force our kids into even more debt. And this budget targets Nevada’s clean energy economy, cutting nearly 72% from the Energy Department’s renewable energy and energy efficiency programs.
“Paired with this budget, and it’s 19% cut to transportation funding – removing nearly four billion dollars from the Department of Transportation – this White House’s infrastructure proposal shows President Trump is not serious about investing in America. It’s crucial that the White House shows a real commitment toward fixing our decaying infrastructure and building for the future. State and local governments cannot be forced to pick up the tab for federal neglect. We must effectively ensure sustainable and fair investments in infrastructure that move our goods, move our people and move our economy forward. It’s time for this Administration to finally act in a bipartisan way on a host of issues including putting Dreamers on a pathway to citizenship, providing further aid to western states battling wildfires, appropriately funding the agencies supporting hardworking American families and by investing in our rural communities through expanding access to broadband.”