Thursday, November 24, 2016

The War on the Poor: Donald Trump's win opens the door to Paul Ryan's vision for America

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/22/13641654/paul-ryan-trump-poverty-safety-net
"Ryan has spent the better part of a decade crafting a coherent, sweeping agenda to reform and slash the American safety net. His agenda of slicing and dicing programs targeting America’s poor isn’t the agenda Trump ran on. But it’s one to which he’ll default. He’s already endorsed Ryan’s plans on Medicaid and has attacked food stamps at length. His vice president, Mike Pence, is a longtime friend and congressional ally of Ryan’s who if anything has argued for larger cuts than the ones Ryan wants. What’s more, Trump enters office as a historically unpopular president distrusted by his own party in Congress. He’s not in a position to dictate to them what he wants. To keep them on his side, he’s going to have to do what they want. And what they want — and have repeatedly voted to pass in recent Congresses — is Ryan’s budget. This is a disaster for America’s poor."