WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) released the following statement after he voted against the Partisan Republican government funding bill:
“Today’s vote was not even Congress doing the bare minimum. The House Republican Caucus has ceded all of their constitutional authority to Donald Trump and his unelected billionaire side kick, Elon Musk. This bill gives Trump and Musk a blank check to continue gutting congressionally appropriated funds and dismantling essential government services – removing all guard rails on where American taxpayers’ money goes. This bill also underfunds veterans’ healthcare, cuts housing assistance, slashes medical research, and does nothing to lower the cost of living for Americans. I hope the Senate rejects this bill and forces Congressional Republicans to the negotiating table to pass appropriations bills that include congressional directives to ensure funds are spent as Congress intends.”
The Republican funding bill cuts critical programs, while increasing funds for the Department of Defense (DoD) and immigration enforcement.
- Veterans: Fails to provide nearly $23 billion in advance funding for the VA’s Toxic Exposures Fund created by the PACT Act.
- Medical Research: Cuts over $1 billion from medical research, including NIH by $280 million and medical research funded by DoD by $860 million. This includes research for Alzheimer’s, autism, childhood cancer, breast cancer, Parkinson’s, and traumatic brain injury.
- Farmer Programs: Cuts $30 million from conservation programs that help farmers improve their operations and protect the local environment.
- Food Assistance: Underfunds the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) by $20 million at a time of rising food costs, and would leave 25,000 seniors unable to participate in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
- Housing: Cuts rent subsidies for low-income and working Americans by more than $700 million, threatening evictions for 32,000 households
A fact sheet on how the Republican continuing resolution is hurting hardworking Americans is here.
A fact sheet detailing how this continuing resolution gives a blank check to Elon Musk and President Trump is here.
