Will Hurd has come out of hiding to hold his first public event in recent memory today, but he’s got two big problems:
- Headlining his event is scandal-plagued Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers – who is facing an ethics investigation for improperly using federal resources to campaign;
- Hurd still hasn’t answered questions about his dangerous budget plan that calls for indiscriminately jeopardizing vital services like veterans’ healthcare, Pell grants and Medicare, while protecting tax breaks abused by the ultra-wealthy.
“Will Hurd has poked his head up for the first time in months – and the first thing he does is appear with a scandal-plagued leader of the dysfunctional Congress,” said David Bergstein of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Hurd still hasn’t answered for his dangerous budget that would indiscriminately jeopardize vital services for veterans, slash support for schools and even jeopardize Medicare – all to protect tax loopholes abused by the ultra-wealthy. It’s just the latest sign that Hurd is totally out of touch with West Texas values.”
BACKGROUND:
Hurd Endorsed “Cuts of 16 Percent Across the Board” to the Federal Budget. “Hurd said that Congress needs to cap federal spending to ‘a percentage of GDP— 18% is a good number’ because that was the number when the budget was last balanced. ‘That would translate to cuts of 16% across the board.’” [Sara for America, 1/17/14]
Will Hurd Wants to “Slash Benefits For Texas Veterans.” “If Hurd’s budget plan were passed, drastic cuts would be made to veterans’ services. Hurd’s plan slashes the budget indiscriminately, without regard for what is being used to help those who have served our country. The budget would cut funding for VA hospitals in the district, and exacerbate the already-existing problems veterans face because of improperly funded VA offices. CD-23 is home to over 46,000 veterans who would be hurt by Will Hurd’s plan.” [Burnt Orange Report, 7/10/14]
“Will Hurd’s Budget Plan Would Force Massive Medicare Cuts.” “It turns out that Hurd’s proposed across-the-board, indiscriminate 16% budget cuts would put yet another program at risk–Medicare. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a budget plan like Hurd’s would ‘inevitably force enormous cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and possibly Social Security.’” [Burnt Orange Report, 8/1/14]
Nearly Identical Plan Would Result in “Huge Cuts” to Education. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the CAP Act, a proposal to limit federal spending to no more than 20.6 percent of GDP – a higher spending cap than Hurd suggested – would result in “huge cuts to the social safety net for seniors, children, and the disabled, as well as to public investments such as education and infrastructure.” [CBPP, 4/15/11]