DSCC Statement on State Of The Union Address

Ahead of tonight’s State of the Union address, DSCC spokesperson Stewart Boss issued the following statement:

“On issue after issue, Washington Republicans are at odds with voters: continuing attacks on coverage protections for people pre-existing conditions, launching new threats to Medicare and Social Security, allowing the White House to raid millions from local military projects in states across the country, and reaping the benefits of a tax bill that gave big corporations a tax cut while exploding the deficit. Tonight will show that instead of having the courage to stand up for what’s right, Republican Senators have become rubber stamps for dangerous policies, putting their party and political self-interest ahead of what’s right for their states.”

Senate Republicans have repeatedly attacked the health care law’s pre-existing conditions coverage and other benefits, refusing to stand up to a GOP lawsuit that would end those protections and other key consumer benefits.

Last month, President Trump opened the door to gutting funding for retirement security programs after the 2020 election, saying he wanted to “look at” cuts to Medicare and potentially other earned benefits like Social Security. Not a single Republican Senator spoke out against him.

Despite promises it would pay for itself, Republicans’ 2017 corporate tax giveaway has sent the deficit surging and also “trimmed a year of solvency from the primary Medicare trust fund and had a negative effect on the Social Security trust fund.” GOP Senators have supported efforts in the past to gut funding for these programs and have been silent on Trump’s plan.

Senate Republicans have also enabled the White House’s unprecedented raid on billions of dollars in military construction funding by repeatedly voting to uphold Trump’s irresponsible emergency declaration over the past year. The cash grab is jeopardizing national security and paved the way for the administration to steal tens of millions of dollars from critical projects in states represented by Republican Senators.

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