Dear Senator:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I am writing to express our opposition to the FY 2014 Continuing Appropriations Resolution (H.J. Res. 59). While we support the Senate Leadership’s decision to remove the provisions relating to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and debt limit prioritization, we reject the idea that sequestration should remain in effect, even in this stop gap measure.
Locking in the sequester cuts, even temporarily, would do irreparable harm to our economy. Sequestration cuts and budget austerity are slowing the economy, keeping unemployment high, and keeping wages low. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO ) the sequester could cost as many as 1.6 million jobs in 2014, and repealing it would generate 900,000 jobs by the third quarter of next year.
We instead urge Congress to repeal sequestration by funding the government at the BCA cap level of $1.058 trillion. Anything less than repeal will amount to harmful cuts that would hamper economic growth or endanger the essential services working families depend on. Likewise, it goes without saying that we stand firm in our firm and longstanding opposition to any cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security benefits, including any shifting of health care costs to individuals.
The very least we can expect from Congress is to stop making our economic problems worse. Congress should stop punishing our economy by insisting on the failed model of budget austerity that raises unemployment and depresses wages, it should repeal sequestration now, and it should stop holding our economy hostage to an unrealistic ideological agenda.
Sincerely,
William Samuel, Director
Government Affairs Department