Washington, DC  (March 29, 2012) -- National Urban League President & CEO Marc H. Morial today issued the following response to the Ryan budget bill, which today passed in the House of Representatives.
 
“Rep. Ryan’s budget would only exacerbate the economic polarization plaguing our country. It’s a political document, rather than a responsible fiscal plan that simply turns its back on the nation’s commitment to economic opportunity.”

Morial said Ryan’s plan to turn Medicaid over to the states, many of which lack the capacity and commitment to manage the program responsibly, would result in an unmanageable and inequitable patchwork of services.
 
Meanwhile, reducing Medicare to a voucher program represents a total abandonment of the nation’s commitment to senior citizens, Morial said.
 
Citing the findings from the National Urban League’s recently released, The State of Black America 2012, Morial added, “Our Equality Index shows that communities of color continue to suffer from chronic economic inequality.    This budget offers no path to prosperity, no better way forward—just a giant leap backward for all of us.”
 
Furthermore, Morial noted:
 

• The repeal of the Affordable Care Act would swell the deficit by $230 billion by 2021 and throw tens of millions of Americans into the ranks of the uninsured.
• The proposed $1.9 trillion in across-the-board cuts in non-discretionary programs would gut critical “safety net” programs such as SNAP, Supplemental Security Income for the elderly, disables and poor, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, unemployment compensation, school lunch and other child nutrition programs.
• The shock to aggregate demand from near-term spending cuts would result in roughly 1.3 million jobs lost in 2013 and 2.8 million jobs lost in 2014, or 4.1 million jobs through 2014.   (Economic Policy Institute)

###

 
About the National Urban League

The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy. Today, there are nearly 100 local affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide.