Velazquez Releases Report on GOP Budget

Washington, DC – At a City Hall press conference today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) released a report detailing how House Republicans’ budget would impact New York City. Being voted on this week, the budget outlines spending priorities for the next 10 years. Velázquez’s report found that the document would slash funding for New York City by $13.4 billion, reducing services and impacting a wide range of programs that affect housing, transportation, healthcare and education.

"Budgets are about priorities and this measure has its priorities wrong,” Velázquez said. “By cutting valuable health, education and social service programs, this budget would weaken our communities and make life harder for the average New Yorker.”

Velázquez was joined at today’s event by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

“The House GOP budget takes dead aim at New York City in a manner that would cripple the ability of working families, middle class New Yorkers and senior citizens to robustly pursue the American dream,” said Rep. Jeffries. “We continue to try and move the country forward, but this budget would turn back the clock. It is a reckless and regressive approach to addressing our country’s fiscal challenges that must be swiftly and completely rejected.”

Many programs that uniquely impact New York City would see funding reduced under the Republican budget. Public transportation resources would be slashed with the city receiving $1 billion less in transit formula grants and another $1.3 billion being taken from initiatives funding investments and repair. Likewise, programs that expand affordable housing availability would also be undermined, with 75,000 fewer New Yorkers receiving Section 8 vouchers under the Housing Choice Voucher program.

“From transportation to housing, this budget would deprive our city of important investments that make our neighborhoods more livable for working families,” Velázquez noted. “Under this budget, New Yorkers could expect to pay higher transit fares and more in rent, with less funding for upgrades and repairs.”

As a cultural and financial epicenter, New York faces unique security threats. Unfortunately, initiatives that help protect the City would also be shortchanged under the Republican proposal. Funds for New York City port, rail and transit security would decline by $46 million, while there would be $12 million less available for local detection of nuclear and radiological threats.

“Just as New Yorkers financial security would be harmed by this budget, so too would our City’s physical safety,” Velázquez noted.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the Republican budget later this week. In addition to Velázquez and Jeffries, representatives from local nonprofits spoke at today’s event, describing how the cuts would undermine their ability to serve the community. 

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