Tell your member of Congress (MOC) to vote for the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) "Better Off Budget' (BOB). Click to call.

This week the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the "Ryan"/Republican corporate/conservative budget and the CPC "Better Off Budget." This is a chance to offer the country a real and visible contrast that clearly shows off the advantages of a progressive approach to our economy over a conservative/corporate approach to our economy.

Please call and write your member of Congress and ask him or her to vote for the “Better Off Budget” from the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

CLICK TO CALL

The "Ryan" Republican Corporate/Conservative Budget

Rep. Paul Ryan's Republican corporate/conservative budget favors the interests of the wealthiest few Americans and their giant multinational corporations at the expense of American-based manufacturers and other companies, America's middle class working people and the poor. It actually takes heath care and protections away from millions of people, transforms Medicare towards a complicated voucher system for the profit of insurance companies and drastically cuts the "safety net" that now enables millions of poor and unemployed Americans to get by, (even as Republicans obstruct increases in the minimum wage and extending unemployment benefits for millions.)

• The Republican budget cuts taxes on the wealthy and corporations. (Millionaires get an average tax cut of $200,000)
• The Republican budget cuts $5.1 trillion from things government does to make our lives better.
• The Republican budget keeps and expands loopholes in corporate taxes that encourage companies to move jobs and factories out of the country.
• The Republican budget repeals the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), leaving millions with no insurance or possibility of getting insurance.
• The Republican budget cuts Pell Grants for attending college by more than $125 billion over the next decade.
• The Republican budget makes deep cuts to Medicaid, converts the program to a block grant administered at the state level, and repeals the Medicaid expansion.
• The Republican budget cuts Food Stamps (SNAP) by at least $135 billion and converts the program to a block grant.
• The Republican budget cuts domestic programs substantially – nearing 20 percent in some cases – for total cuts of $791 billion over a decade.
• The Republican budget increases military spending by $483 billion.

According to Joshua Smith at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) the Republican budget "would decrease GDP by 0.9 percent and decrease nonfarm payrolls by 1.1 million jobs in fiscal year 2015... The following fiscal year, when Ryan’s cuts to discretionary spending kick in ... [it] would decrease GDP by 2.5 percent and cost 3.0 million jobs."

The Congressional Progressive Caucus "Better Off Budget"

The CPC "Better Off Budget" translates progressive values into a national budget that puts people to work, invests in our infrastructure and economy to drive our future prosperity, assists and provides greater opportunity for the less fortunate, protects our environment, drives down future budget deficits and demonstrates how a progressive approach actually addresses and fixes a number of our pressing national problems.

Here are some of the things this budget would do for the country if passed:

• The CPC "Better Off Budget" increases employment by 4.6 million jobs in 2015 – 9 million by 2017 – and boosts gross domestic product (GDP) by 3.8 percent.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" increases taxes on the wealthiest by restoring Clinton tax rates for households making over $250,000 and implements new brackets for those making over $1 million.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" cuts out corporate tax loopholes that encourage companies to move jobs out of the country.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" ends subsidies provided to oil, gas and coal companies.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" enacts a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) on various financial market transactions to protect markets from excessive speculation and rigged high-speed trading.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" adds a public option and expanding payment reforms to Obamacare, and allows states to transition to single-payer health care systems.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" addresses the climate change crisis by enacting a price on carbon pollution while "holding low-income families harmless" - meaning paying back what they are taxed.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" restores food stamp – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – benefits and restores unemployment insurance.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" creates jobs in our building and construction industries with funds to repair and modernize roads, bridges, water and other infrastructure.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" includes a direct-hire Public Works and Education program that will hire physicians, students, construction and community workers, and an education program boost to hire more teachers and improve schools.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" enhances federal programs targeted at creating equity and improving outcomes for women, people of color, and their families.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" provides assistance to states to allow them to hire and rehire public employees such as police, firefighters and health care workers.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" invests in clean and renewable energy, which creates middle-class jobs, boosts the economy, and cuts pollution.

But wait, there's more!

• The CPC "Better Off Budget" implements comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" funds public financing of campaigns to curb special interest influence in politics.
• The CPC "Better Off Budget" endorses “Scrapping the Cap” – it would require high-income individuals to contribute payroll taxes at the same rate as people earning less than $100,000 a year – and expanding Social Security benefits separately from the federal budget process.

What The Public Wants

Here's the thing: The CPC "Better Off Budget" respects what the American people want Washington to do. Take a look at the website Populist Majority to see what the polls show. It also fixes a number of America's serious problems, like jobs and infrastructure, addresses climate change, and gets to work on helping people out of poverty. At the same time the public really does not like the things that are in this Republican budget.

If enough Democrats support the CPC "Better Off Budget," the public will have the opportunity to see that we have real and different choices in the Fall elections.

Please call and write your member of Congress and ask him or her to vote for the “Better Off Budget” from the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

CLICK TO CALL

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This post originally appeared at Campaign for America's Future (CAF) at their Blog for OurFuture. I am a Fellow with CAF. Sign up here for the CAF daily summary