CFI Statement on White House Budget Proposal
The following is a statement from CFI Executive Director Carol Hedges on White House budget proposal announced and what it means for Colorado:
“Public investments help build and sustain the thriving communities in which we all want to live. Federal funding is a big part of that as it helps preserve, protect, and empower our communities. Where our kids go to school, how we get to and from work, where the next generation of workers are trained and educated, what job prospects we have to earn a good life, and how we access and enjoy parks and public lands are all part of the Colorado way of life and those priorities all rely on federal support.
The president’s budget proposal released this week would erode that Colorado way of life by cutting the very investments that help make it possible.
If this federal budget proposal were actually enacted, it would threaten schools, student aid, and other critical needs. It would take away health care from seniors and people with disabilities. It would make housing and food less affordable for working families trying to make ends meet. And it would make it harder for people to succeed and earn a good living.
Just looking at housing alone, initial estimates show that Colorado would lose more than $20 million in public housing funding, $13 million in HOME funding, and more than $34 million in Community Development Block Grant funding.
Meanwhile, as the legislature debates transportation funding, the president’s infrastructure plan would shift billions of dollars in costs to the state and local governments. One initial estimate shows that Colorado could lose up to $1.9 billion in federal transportation funding over an eight year span under this plan.
The president’s budget proposal would make the tough choices in Colorado’s state legislature that much more difficult. However, despite the president’s misguided budget proposal, it fundamentally does not change the basic fiscal equation facing state leaders: they can either cut or eliminate vital public services and supports that we all depend on, they can find other areas to cut such as schools or transportation, or they can increase revenue to make vital public investments and support Colorado’s way of life.
Colorado is a great place to call home because of the public investments we’ve made in our state, our communities, and for our families. This budget plan would undo that work and make it harder for every Coloradan to succeed.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Scott Downes at downes@coloradofiscal.org
