Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka On Republican Budget Proposal Senate Vote
May 25, 2011

Today, 40 Senate Republicans demonstrated their desire to block the road to the future. They sent a loud and clear message to the American public that sacrifice is for the weak, while the powerful and well-connected get tax cuts.

This Tea Party budget would destroy the fabric of our country rather than put America back to work and focus on what's important. The Republican Party leadership would have us erase the jobs created during the recovery, gut Medicare and attack Social Security.  Veiled in a sham claim of deficit reduction, this budget would do almost nothing to cut the deficit. While it cuts $4.3 trillion in spending that mainly helps middle and low income Americans, it gives out $4.2 trillion in tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations. This is no more than a pass-through to enrich the already rich at a time when inequality stands at historic levels.

Like the vast majority of Americans, the labor movement remains strongly opposed to this partisan attack on our nation's economic future. Those who supported this measure need look no further than the NY-26 special election to see that voters are watching and there are consequences to supporting corporate CEOs at the expense of working people.