PHX Reporter

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) on april 26 voted against MAGA Republicans’ effort to punish everyday Arizonans by tying reckless spending cuts to legislation to raise the debt ceiling.

Statement from Rep. Ruben Gallego:

"Extremists in Congress are trying to gut every single program that Arizona families rely on – healthcare, support for veterans, early childhood education, affordable housing, crime prevention, securing the border, the list goes on. All the while, they bend over backwards to preserve giveaways to Wall Street, like hedge fund managers and Big Pharma execs. America needs to pay its bills, which is why we need a clean debt ceiling vote, but these cruel political games threaten the health of our—and the global—economy. I can't in good conscience support this legislation, and it is my hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle get serious about raising the debt limit without hurting the American people.”

If the Republicans' package passed today in House were to become law, it would severely impact Arizonans. Specifically, cuts would:

• Put 316,000 people at risk of losing Medicaid coverage in Arizona.
• Threaten access to food assistance for 17,000 people aged 50-55 in Arizona.
• Eliminate preschool and child care for at least 5,600 children in Arizona.
• Increase housing costs for at least 5,300 people in Arizona.
• Make college more expensive for at least 275,700 students in Arizona.
• Eliminate at least 6 air traffic control towers in Arizona.
• Cut at least 90 rail safety inspection days in Arizona.
• Repeal investments in cleaner, cheaper energy— threatening at least 12,300 clean energy and manufacturing jobs announced in Arizona since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

For a full synopsis of the impact today's debt ceiling vote would have on Arizona, click here to read our office's interested parties memo.

Original source can be found here.