A vote by Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM 2) in support of the House Republican budget has sparked a response from Pearce's opponent Rocky Lara. Rep. Pearce's office also commented on the vote. Both responses are listed below.
From the campaign of Rocky Lara:
Congressman Steve Pearce joined his Republican colleagues today in voting for a budget that gives tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans, like himself, at the expense of southern New Mexico’s working families, students and seniors.
Pearce turned his back on southern New Mexico’s middle class families and seniors when he voted for a budget that ends the Medicare guarantee for seniors by turning it into a voucher program, cuts Pell grants for students who need financial aid to gain access to higher education, and raises taxes on middle-class families to give tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires.
“At every juncture Congressman Pearce’s budget protects special interests while imposing harsh costs and increased tax burdens on southern New Mexico's middle class families and seniors,” said Rocky Lara. “Congressman Pearce’s vote shows that he, like this budget, represents all the wrong priorities for southern New Mexico."
Ryan Budget Effects On New Mexico:
New Mexico students would lose $24,500,000 in Pell Grants, hurting their ability to pay for college
20,965 seniors would see their Medicare Part D “donut hole” reopened, raising the cost of their medications
6,700 people would lose job training and employment services, hurting their chances to find a job
$6,838,000,000 in Federal Medicaid funding for New Mexico would be cut over the next decade due to the proposal to block grant Medicaid
From the office of Rep. Steve Pearce:
Today, Congressman Steve Pearce voted in support of H.Con. Res. 96, known as the Ryan Budget Resolution. This plan, which establishes a budget framework for the year ahead and spending priorities for the next ten years, balances in 10-years, keeps Medicare as-is for people over age 56, and provides for a strong national defense.
“The United States is $17 trillion in debt. Continuing to spend and budget the way we currently do is simply unsustainable,” said Pearce. “The budget passed today provides a commonsense pathway for Congress and the federal government to put our spending and nation back on a sustainable, manageable path. While it will not be easy, it is the path we must take to provide our children and grandchildren with the opportunities that we all have benefited from.
“Last year, Washington tried to increase spending and raise taxes to promote job growth and energize the economy. It did not work. The budget plan today keeps our promise to seniors, while also protecting the Medicare guarantee for generations to come. Unlike the President’s budget, this budget prioritizes national security, and avoids catastrophic cuts to defense spending. It simplifies the tax code, and provides full funding and benefits to our nation’s veterans. This budget is not perfect. However, it is a needed start. I was sent to Congress to address our debt and deficit – the Ryan budget provides a framework to do just that.”
H.Con.Res. 96 passed the House of Representatives by a final vote of 219 to 205.