For Immediate Release

AFSCME’s Saunders: As the economy sinks, senators vote to further enrich billionaires

WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after the Senate passed a budget plan that opens the door to massive cuts to public services including Medicaid:

“Working people are watching their hard-earned retirement savings vanish and millions of families are bracing for skyrocketing grocery bills and higher everyday expenses. Instead of offering a solution, the Senate’s response to this Trump-induced chaos is to cut public services and give billionaires massive tax handouts – completely ignoring the dire situation their constituents are facing. 

“Tearing Medicaid coverage away from millions of people, gutting food assistance and affordable childcare, and shredding the social safety net as our economy careens towards a potential recession is a recipe for disaster. 

“If the Senate won’t protect our states, cities and towns from billionaire robber barons, AFSCME members are ready to step up and fight. We will be making our voices heard at events across the country and joining together to save the jobs and vital public services our communities depend on.”

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AFSCME’s 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, childcare providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families. 

AFSCME’s 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families.

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American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone: (202) 429-1145
Fax: (202) 429-1120

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