In Washington, the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to approve the Republican budget authored by Wisconsin’s Paul Ryan. Ryan said the GOP plan puts Americans – not government bureaucrats – in control of their own lives. “Americans should make their own decisions about what kind of car they drive and what kind of light bulb they use,” Ryan said.
Ryan said it was significant that the House votes comes the same week that the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments over President Obama’s health care reforms. “We believe the president is bringing us toward a debt crisis and a welfare state in decline,” Ryan said.
The White House said the Ryan budget gives millionaires and billionaires a tax cut paid for by ending Medicare as we know it, and deep cuts to critical programs.
If the Ryan Republican budget is made a reality and the radical discretionary cuts fall across the board, by 2014, more than nine million students would see their Pell Grants fall by as much as $1100, and about 900,000 would lose their grants altogether. Clean energy programs would be cut nearly 20 percent, Head Start would offer 200,000 fewer slots per year, and critical medical research and science programs would see drastic cuts.
The House vote was 228 Republicans in favor, 181 Democrats and 10 Republicans opposed. The plan will be rejected by the Democrat controlled Senate.
