Mediaboss Marketing

Actions speak louder than words. Today, Vice President Mike Pence is visiting Louisiana, where he will speak to the people of Baton Rouge. They are hardworking people, many of whom are still struggling to put their lives back together after historic flooding. Some may wonder what hes going to say, but not me. I wont be able to hear the words of his speech because the presidents budget speaks volumes and will render the vice presidents words hollow.

The president and vice president ran on standing up for the people of Louisiana, but they released a budget that goes out of its way to knock Louisianans down. To start with, the budget would cut expected revenue from offshore oil drilling happening off our coast. This is revenue that our state is rightfully owed, and that has already been pledged to coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects. So, this administration is choosing tax cuts for the rich over the physical security of the people of Louisiana. No words Pence could speak would be louder than that.

This disastrous budget gets much worse for our state. It cuts $800 billion from Medicaid, even though President Donald Trump promised several times throughout his campaign that he would protect it, and despite the fact that hospitals across this state rely on Medicaid payments to keep their doors open. It cuts the Childrens Health Insurance Program by almost 20 percent. It makes student loans more expensive for students trying to better themselves through education and makes it impossible for public servants like nurses, police officers, and teachers to have their student loans forgiven. It attacks farmers by eliminating commodity payments and making it impossible for many farmers to get crop insurance. It attacks families and workers struggling to put food on their tables by cutting food stamps by more than 25 percent. It cuts funding to programs that people who are disabled and cant work rely on to survive, and funding for programs that help first-generation college students obtain the education they need to support themselves and their families.

President Donald Trump's proposed budget would slash offshore oil and gas royalties to Louis

This budget also attacks the programs local governments rely on to make life better for their citizens. It eliminates programs that cities and parishes have used to pay for infrastructure like better sidewalks and streets. It eliminates programs that our ports have relied on to increase their security and improve their operations. And it doesnt only go after big programs. In fact, this administrations budget hunts out even the small programs that make a huge difference in peoples lives and targets them as well. It eliminates federal funding for programs that everyone agrees actually do good things like Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and after-school programs.

The bottom line is simple: this budget will make life harder for the people of Louisiana. It will make important things in life, like health care and education, cost even more while hardworking Louisianans receive even less.

It hurts the young and the old, the poor and the middle class. The only people it doesnt hurt are those who are already doing well. They get even more tax cuts. The message from this administration is clear: if youre struggling, keep struggling.

I have said many times before that a budget is not merely numbers on a page; it is a moral document that reflects our values. The Trump administrations values are on full display in this document, and they are far different from the hollow promises the president made to Louisiana several times throughout the campaign.

The people of Baton Rouge are still working to recover from one of the worst natural disasters in our nations history. Instead of delivering the support from the federal government that was promised, the president has the audacity to bring us a budget that guts our state and puts us further in the red. This budget is a slap in the face to people everywhere in Louisiana. Pence can say what he wants on this trip, but the actions of this administration have already spoken for him.

Cedric Richmond of New Orleans represents Louisiana's 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He chairs the House Black Caucus.

More here:
Cedric Richmond: Mike Pence's words won't matter; damaging policies speak volumes - The Advocate