Merkley to Republican Colleagues: This is Fraud

Merkley to Republican Colleagues: This is Fraud

Republican Leadership's Obsession with Using "Current Policy Baseline" Will Add $37 Trillion to the National Debt

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, took to the Senate Floor to call out the hypocrisy in the Republicans' budget reconciliation process. Republican leadership is hell bent on using "magic math" - in the form of a budget gimmick known as "current policy baseline" - to falsely appear to add $0 to the debt - all to ensure millionaires and billionaires pay less in taxes. A second round of Trump Tax Giveaways will add an astronomical $37 trillion to the debt over the next 30 years, which would increase the debt to more than double the size of the economy in 2054.

"They are going to betray working families with attacks on health care, housing and education. Why? To give massive tax breaks to the richest Americans," said Ranking Member Merkley in his floor remarks. "The situation is clear. Families lose and billionaires win."

"[The Republicans'] plan increases the deficits - massively. An additional $4 trillion over the next two years. An additional $37 trillion in debt over the next 30 years to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans while slashing programs for ordinary working families to thrive," Merkley continued.

Policymakers and policy experts on both sides of the aisle agree: current policy baseline is wrong and will balloon our national debt.

Sen. Merkley's full remarks can be found HERE.

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