Genesee Valley Indivisible Statement on the Federal Budget

President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” budget, with its enormous $3 trillion addition to our national debt over the next ten years, will harm the future of the entire country. And if it becomes law, it will immediately harm the well-being of the 57,251 of the 61,561 residents of Livingston County with family incomes below $200,000.

Most, but not all, of the harm will fall on our county residents least able to manage hardship. President Trump’s budget makes massive cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP (food stamps). The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that under President Trump’s budget, 8.6 million Americans will lose their health insurance and 3.2 million Americans will lose food stamps. Locally, 19,699 Livingston County residents receive some Medicaid support, and 5,731 residents receive food stamps, so thousands of our most vulnerable residents will lose health, nutrition, and nursing care if this budget becomes law.

President Trump’s budget also cuts the percentage returned to us of the federal taxes that Livingston County residents pay to the IRS. This means that Livingston County will get less federal support for schools; highways; and community training, development, and cultural programs. It is unclear how our Livingston County Board of Supervisors and local School Boards will manage these shortfalls.

Simply stated, if President Trump’s budget becomes law, those on the very top will win and ordinary Americans will lose. This is because President Trump’s budget proposes a $4.5 trillion tax cut that disproportionately goes to those with annual family incomes over $200,000. Wealthy Americans would see their annual financial well-being improve by 3% on average over the next ten years. The 39,396 Livingston County residents with annual family incomes between $50,000 and $200,000 would not receive any net financial gain over the same period. Sadly, our county residents with annual family incomes less than $50,000 would lose, becoming 3% worse off on average over the next ten years under President Trump’s budget.

Our Congresswoman, Representative Claudia Tenney, 24th District, is fine with all of this. She supports President Trump’s budget, and it was her vote that broke the 214–214 tie in the House of Representatives and sent President Trump’s budget to the Senate with a 215–214 majority. We, the undersigned, oppose this budget and ask you to do the same. We are local volunteers and neighbors who are members or supporters of Indivisible, a nationwide bipartisan coalition of citizens united in defense of the rule of law and a constitutional democracy. We support a democracy that advances just policies to meet the needs of ordinary Americans. We oppose the extreme and unlawful actions of President Trump’s administration, and we oppose his Robinhood-in-reverse budget that only helps the wealthy.

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