WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. House passed the budget reconciliation bill following narrow passage in the Senate. In response, Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement:
“Our representatives in Congress were chosen by their constituents to improve our health and safety and to protect our freedoms. Instead, on the eve of the Fourth of July, when we should be celebrating our nation’s independence, Congress has done the exact opposite, passing a bill that everyone knows will hurt millions of people for generations to come.
“Every elected official who voted in favor of this bill has failed to uphold their end of the social contract, putting Americans in harm’s way, all in the name of a political agenda that helps no one while disproportionately harming Black people, other communities of color, low-income and middle-class families, and other vulnerable populations. Many of them regret their votes already.
“This monstrosity of a bill threatens to take away healthcare from millions, increase costs and reduce healthcare accessibility–including reproductive care–for others, and limit food assistance for those who need this support to survive. It places the burden of increased costs and barriers to access on those seeking higher education. It prioritizes policies that demonize our people, pouring billions of additional dollars into radical immigration enforcement while racial profiling and civil rights violations escalate in Black and Brown communities. It also adds over $3 trillion to the federal deficit, resulting in higher costs and less financial prosperity for all of us. And this is all being done to fatten the wallets of the wealthiest people and corporations in this country.
“Make no mistake, this is not governance in the name of the people, but rather, the unraveling of our institutions and our critical social safety net to benefit the pockets of a few at the expense of many.
“Given the devastation this bill will cause for many, it is our duty to continue fighting to overturn these devastating cuts and policy changes to advance our nation closer to its principles of justice and opportunity for all.”
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