Questions for Rep. Paul Ryan On His "Anti-Poverty" Proposal

This morning, Budget Chairman Paul Ryan unveiled his “anti-poverty” proposal. In case you missed it, the Ways and Means Committee released a few questions for Mr. Ryan as he prepared to reveal his big plan. And because we’re so helpful, we thought we’d add to their efforts by tacking on a few more questions for reporters to ask him throughout the day to satisfy our curiosity over how Rep. Ryan’s drastic budget plays into his “anti-poverty” plan:  

  1. In light of your budget proposal for FY15, which aimed to cut $732 billion from Medicaid over the next 10 years in addition to repealing the Affordable Care Act, how will your “anti-poverty” proposal help low-income Americans access affordable health care?
     
  2. We all know that one of the best ways to lift Americans out of poverty is by providing them with access to quality education. How does your “anti-poverty” proposal make up for the $89 billion in cuts to K-12 education included in your budget? How about the extreme cuts to Head Start and Pell Grants?
     
  3. If you are so interested in helping low-income Americans, are you willing to urge Republican leadership to bring legislation to the Floor to raise the minimum wage?
     
  4. How will your “anti-poverty” proposal help Americans looking for work? Will you recommend extending emergency unemployment insurance to the more than 3 million Americans actively seeking work who have been cut off from emergency UI since December?
     
  5. Your budget proposal included unspecific tax increases of approximately $4 trillion in order to pay for tax cuts for Americans earning the highest incomes. How does your “anti-poverty” proposal suggest we pay for the $825 billion in additional tax cuts that are currently on the Floor or have already been passed by the Republican-led House? Surely, not by raising middle-class taxes, right?

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