The extreme Default on America Act would have threatened vital programs while giving more handouts to big corporations and protecting wealthy tax cheats
Friday, April 26. 2024
MADISON, Wis. – Today marks the one year anniversary of Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden’s vote in favor of the Default on America Act, a devastating proposal which included cuts to programs that support families across Wisconsin while giving even more tax breaks to big corporations.
Steil and Van Orden backed provisions of the Default on America Act, including:
Cutting Access to Health Care for Veterans: The Default on America Act would have drastically reduced funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, forcing staffing reductions and reduced access to appointments. One report found that the proposal could have meant as many as 13 million fewer health care appointments for veterans, in addition to reduced staffing, lower benefit payments, and delays on construction of clinics.
Reduced Access for Social Security and Medicare Benefits: Cuts to Social Security Administration funding would have forced the layoffs and closures at field offices, and cuts to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would have hampered the agency’s ability to serve seniors who need assistance. That would lead to additional delays in applying for benefits and make it tougher for Wisconsinites to access the support they need from these programs.
Slashing Food Assistance Programs: Cuts to nutrition assistance programs could have been devastating for Wisconsin families. Cuts to the SNAP program would have threatened benefits for 14,000 Wisconsinites, more than 1 million seniors nationwide would have lost access to Meals on Wheels under the bill, and nearly 1.2 million women, babies, and children would be at risk of losing WIC benefits.
More Handouts to Big Corporations and Protections for Wealthy Tax Cheats: The bill included provisions to repeal taxes and fees on big oil and natural gas companies, which would have helped them avoid paying their fair share of taxes. It also would have repealed funding that the IRS is already successfully using to track down wealthy tax cheats who owe taxes to the federal government.
“If the Default on America Act had been signed into law, working families and seniors across Wisconsin would have been faced with higher costs and reduced access to vital programs,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden’s vote would’ve forced our veterans to wait longer to access health care, made it more difficult for seniors to access Social Security, and jeopardized food assistance for thousands of Wisconsinites. As Congress begins to work on the next federal budget, it’s time for them to support policies that help working families and seniors succeed.”
###
