Rep. Pallone Issues Statement on President Trump’s FY 2019 Budget Proposal

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on President Trump's fiscal 2019 budget proposal:

"President Trump is once again proposing a budget that has little basis in reality and continues his ongoing assault on working families struggling to make ends meet.

"Despite repeated attempts to gut our nation's health care system, the President is once again proposing to strip away health care from tens of millions of Americans by repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. The President is also proposing a devastating $1.4 trillion cut to Medicaid, which will force states to ration care for seniors in nursing homes, people with disabilities, children and pregnant women. The budget also continues the Administration's goal of restricting Medicaid coverage to the most vulnerable by adding co-payments and unnecessary paperwork requirements.

"As the opioid crisis continues to devastate families and communities around the nation, the President's harmful ACA and Medicaid proposals would make it extremely difficult for people struggling with opioid abuse to get the treatment they need.

"The President's proposed cuts to EPA are extreme and threaten the health and environment of all Americans. The President's budget cuts the agency's overall budget by 26 percent from Fiscal Year 2017, slashing funding for critical public health programs including clean air programs, chemical safety research and geographic programs.

"The budget also decimates our nation's investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, which will increase energy costs for consumers, undermine clean energy jobs and threaten our efforts to combat climate change.

"These are reckless proposals that should be opposed by Congress."