Schakowsky Statement Against Republican Hyper-partisan Rules Package

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the first day of the 114th Congress, the Republicans in the House passed a rules package (H. Res. 5) by a vote of 234 to 172. The rules package includes a provision that could cut Social Security benefits for disabled workers and their families by 20 percent. The provision would block Congress from shifting a small amount of revenues from the Social Security retirement trust fund to the disability insurance fund – a reallocation mechanism that has been used often in the past and is supported by groups like the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and AARP. The rules package also requires so-called ‘dynamic scoring’ that promotes the failed policy of trickle-down economics. Rep. Jan Schakowsky voted against this measure and released the following statement:

“I am extremely disappointed in my Republican colleagues for pushing this hyper-partisan rules package. The package seeks to prohibit Congress from using a Social Security rebalancing mechanism that has been used 11 times – by Republicans and Democrats alike. Taking that step would result in a possible 20 percent cut in monthly disability benefits that average an extremely modest $1,146.

At the same time, the rules of the House will now require the use of dynamic scoring to determine the economic impacts of major legislation. Dynamic scoring has repeatedly overestimated any beneficial impacts of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while at the same time underestimating the positive impacts of federal investments. It is trickle-down economics at its worst. Bruce Bartlett, a former economic advisor to President Ronald Reagan, said that dynamic scoring “is not about honest revenue-estimating. It’s about using smoke and mirrors to institutionalize Republican ideology into the budget process.

It didn’t take long – just a few hours into the 114th Congress – for the Republican majority to send a clear and unwelcome message to the American public: once again, their priority will be taking care of the rich instead of American working families.”