Jeffries: Trump budget is a ‘declaration of war on the American dream’

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) slammed President Trump’s proposed federal budget Tuesday, dubbing it a “declaration of war on the American dream.”

“President Trump’s budget is reckless, regressive and retrograde and is a declaration of war on the American dream,” Jeffries, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, told reporters after the caucus’s latest meeting. 

“Once again, the president has shown the American people he’s all about elevating the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected, and everybody else is left to fend for themselves,” he continued.

Jeffries was joined by Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the caucus’s co-chair, who said Trump’s budget contradicts what he said last week during his annual State of the Union address. 

In his speech, the president told the country, “We will always protect your Medicare and we will always protect you Social Security.”

Clark pointed out that Trump’s proposed $4.8 trillion budget would slash $24 million from Social Security, $500 billion from Medicare and $900 billion from Medicaid over the next decade.

The congresswoman echoed Jeffries: “Budgets are always a roadmap of our values, and this one clearly shows that this president and his administration’s value remain clearly with those who have already achieved great wealth and power.”