Budget for All Intro
&
Budget for All FY2013
compared with the People's Budget FY2012
Prepared by Laurie Funaroff
The headings are from the Budget for All www.cpc.grijalva.house.gov/
Both budgets are written by the U.S. Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Intro to the Budget for All - FY2013 {excerpts from p.1}
"The Congressional Progressive Caucus's Budget for All responds [to getting our fiscal house in order and addressing our jobs crisis] by listening to the American people and reflecting their values."
"At this decisive moment, the Budget for All asks the most fortunate to contribute a sensible share. We ask because we value a teacher as much as a CEO, a grocer as much as a venture capitalist, working moms as much as working dads, and our rough neighborhoods as much as our safe suburbs. The CPC budget is a governing vision for all Americans. It is a reflection of their priorities and voices."
"We hear them, and honor the promises made by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The CPC budget protects these basic guarantees: When you are old, you will not live in poverty; when you are sick, you will have affordable health care; and when you have fallen on tough times, you will have support to get back on your feet. Those promises are not up for negotiation or experimentation."
"Make no mistake, every tax cut for a millionaire is an education cut for America's children; every tax giveaway to special interests gives away our ability to rebuild America. We need a budget that works for all Americans, not just the well-connected and well off."
Like the People's Budget, the Budget for All includes affordable housing. In addition, it has a "Homeless Housing Grant." Both invest in maternal health care, TANF, unemployment, clean energy, public education and affordable higher education.
The Budget's Top Line
The Budget for All identifies a greatly increased deficit reduction for a total of $6.8 Trillion compared with $5.6 Trillion over 10 years in the People's Budget. [Compare this to Nov. 2011 when the 1% controlled Congressional Super Committee, directed to find $1.2 trillion, was unable to do so!]
The Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act
The Budget 4 All is more specific. It puts 2 million individuals back to work over the next two years (2013, 2014) by hiring them in areas critical to our quality of life. The following national job corps would be created:
- School Improvement Corps for public school rehabilitation projects
- Park Improvement Corps made up of youth ages 16-25 for restoration of public lands
- Student Job Corps of college students for part time work study positions
- Child Care Corps
- Neighborhood Heroes Corps to employ teachers, firefighters, and police officers, among others. Priority hiring is given to unemployed and veterans.
[Note: This addresses city, county, and state cuts to public services, but doesn't specify that the funding will cover all such cuts. The People's Budget doesn't mention the above public service jobs except teachers. The People's Budget did mention jobs for rebuilding our educational system, roads, bridges, dams and waterways, and re-establishing a civilian conservation corps, with no particular age focus.]
WILPF Sacramento commentary:
"We in WILPF - Sacramento Valley Branch encourage all police officers to identify with the 99% and Occupy Wall Street. We encourage all police officers to follow the example of the active duty U.S. soldiers who supported O.W.S. by physically protecting the Occupiers from the NYPD [New York Police Department]… The U.S. soldiers say they support the U.S. Constitution and First Amendment Rights of freedom of assembly as a way to call for true representation in our government. They said they took the oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, not the 1%! We in WILPF also encourage police officers who identify with the 99% to speak out about the travesty of justice in the case of Trayvon Martin and other youth of color who have been killed due to “walking while black."
The Budget for All Brings our Troops Home and Realigns Our National Security Strategy
The Budget for All ends the wars and eliminates even more 'defense' spending, saving $3 Trillion. This is almost a trillion dollars more than the People's Budget saves by stopping the wars and cutting 'defense' spending. [Note: Cuts in 'defense' spending are accomplished by attrition, and do not reduce "military personnel wages or benefits, including TRICARE and pensions." Vets and the unemployed get priority for certain new jobs.]
The Budget for All "puts an end to nation building outside the U.S." It prohibits funds "being used for any permanent bases in Iraq or Afghanistan."
The Budget 4 All reduces modernization requirements…[on] Trident II nuclear missile.
Health Care
The Budget for All "ends the tax deduction for advertising/marketing junk food and fast food to children."
The Budget for All states: "The Progressive Caucus believes that until we guarantee universal access to quality [health] care, our work is not complete." The Budget for All uses State Waivers to help states move more quickly towards establishing universal [single payer] health care.
Other Policies
The Budget for All calls for enacting comprehensive immigration reform that is humane, and creates a road to citizenship and innovative jobs.
It puts out a call to adopt public financing of elections.
The Budget for All increases funding for Violence against Women Prevention / Prosecution Programs.