It’s truly scary.

The federal budget that was introduced by
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and passed in the House of Representatives last month
is being voted on in the Senate this week. And in all my years of working
in Washington, DC, I can honestly say that I’ve rarely seen anything this
alarming.

That’s why I need you to take just a minute and send a message
to your senators right now.

You’ve probably already heard about the Ryan budget
because of its radical proposal to eliminate Medicare as we know it. But
it’s worse than that. It’s clear that what he’s calling the “Pathway to
Prosperity” should really be named the “Pathway to Poverty,” given what it means
for most Americans. The Ryan pathway is a wrong turn for America. It only brings
more prosperity to insurance companies, Wall Street fat cats, and the wealthiest
companies and individuals in America while dumping the rest of us in a dead end.
It’s outrageous.

And it must be stopped in the
Senate: Please take action against this radical bill right
now.

• Ryan’s budget includes deep
  cuts to federal programs that fund state and local governments at a time when
  many states are already in crisis, and more and more people need their services.
  It’s nothing short of
  another outright attack on public employees and the services we provide.
  
• The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates
  that Medicare beneficiaries’ premiums and other out-of-pocket expenses would double when compared to
  Medicare as it is now – from $6,150 to $12,500.
• Ryan claims this bill would
  reduce the deficit by $4.3 trillion. What he doesn’t say is that it’s almost
  entirely wiped out by the
  $4.2 trillion in tax cuts to benefit the wealthiest Americans. Indeed, it would reduce the
  tax rate for prosperous corporations and reduce the tax rate paid by the
  wealthiest to its lowest level since 1931.

This budget proposal is so radical
that even some Republicans, like Newt
Gingrich, are distancing themselves from it. And while home during
recess, many of the House Republicans who voted for it (all but 4 did) were
taken to task at town hall meetings by the same people who voted for them last
November.

It’s clear
that the voices of working Americans are being heard and making a difference in
this fight. So please, speak out against this extreme proposal today by sending
a message to your senators. Let them know that you won’t stand by while Medicare, Medicaid,
and even Social Security are dismantled to pay for tax breaks for the rich and
subsidies to oil companies.

In solidarity,

Chuck Loveless
Legislative
Director
AFSCME