House Republicans’ Continuing Resolution included massive cuts to cancer research, public education, food assistance, and home energy assistance

Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) voted against House Republicans’ extreme Continuing Resolution (CR) which would have made massive, 30 percent across-the-board cuts to programs that Alabamians rely on including cancer research, public education, food assistance, and more. Notably, the extreme CR included an unprecedented 74 percent cut to home energy assistance for low-income Americans. The measure failed after 21 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it.

“We are one day away from a government shutdown, and rather than working with Democrats, House Republicans are fighting amongst themselves and demanding extreme cuts to public education, Head Start programs, cancer research and so much more,” said Rep. Sewell. “This is not a serious proposal. I implore my Republican colleagues to come to the table and work with us to keep the government open. The American people are counting on us!”

House Republicans’ extreme CR would have:

• Slashed investments in the National Institutes of Health (NIH): Medical research into treatments and cures for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease would be cut with the reduction of 7,000 research grants. 

• Furthered their goal of eliminating public education by cutting funding for Title I, IDEA, and Head Start: Cuts to Title I and IDEA would be the equivalent of removing nearly 150,000 teachers and service providers from classrooms serving low-income students and students with disabilities. And approximately 275,000 children would lose access to Head Start, undermining early education for children in low-income communities and parents’ ability to go to work. 

• Decimated the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as temperatures begin to drop: In an unprecedented move, House Republicans have cut LIHEAP funding by roughly 74 percent. More than 5 million low-income households would lose their home heating or cooling benefits or have their benefits cut by hundreds of dollars — threatening their ability to heat their homes in winter or cool their homes in summer. 

• Failed to support communities recovering from natural disasters. In the midst of hurricane season and with several response and recovery efforts to major disasters underway, this bill harms FEMA’s readiness by failing to address the urgent need for additional Disaster Relief Funds to address existing shortfalls and respond to future unknown disasters. 

• Undercut our critical allies like Israel and Ukraine: Cuts to Foreign Military Financing (FMF) threaten critical support for allies like Israel and Jordan. This extreme funding bill not only fails to include requested additional resources for Ukraine and surrounding partners, but it also cuts Assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia (AEECA) by 59 percent. 

• Defunded law enforcement: This extreme Republican funding bill would effectively reduce the numbers of FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration agents and other Federal law enforcement officers, and it would also eliminate hundreds of state and local law enforcement officer positions across the country. This will make our communities less safe, as fewer law enforcement officers will be apprehending violent fugitives, fighting fentanyl and other opioid trafficking, countering cybersecurity threats, and fighting domestic and international terrorism. 

• Halted Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations including air traffic controllers: FAA operations would come to a standstill, as hiring and training of new air traffic controllers and safety inspectors would freeze, causing delays in certifying pilots, drone operators, and aircrafts and adding to the chaos of getting in and out of airports nationwide.

• Closed Social Security Administration Field Offices: The Social Security Administration would be forced to close field offices and reduce access to in-person services, and people applying for disability benefits would wait additional months for processing of claims.

• Neglected our water infrastructure by cutting funds to the Army Corps of Engineers: House Republicans are cutting funds to the Army Corps of Engineers Construction activities by 31 percent. With $2.7 billion slashed from the Corps of Engineers’ Construction activities, projects critical to waterway navigation of supply chains, reducing flood and storm damage, or providing ecosystem restoration would freeze.

• Taken food out of the mouths of children, families, and seniors: With the sharp increase in caseload, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has barely half of the resources it needs to keep feeding people. The program needs a 32 percent increase. Instead, House Republicans are cutting it by 30 percent. Other nutrition services, such as Meals on Wheels, would also be cut for more than 1 million seniors.

• Raised the costs of food by threatening food safety and supply: House Republicans are threatening public health by cutting Food Safety and Inspection Service by 30 percent. This cut makes our meat and poultry less safe to consume. Plants that produce these products provide jobs in rural communities. Without adequate federal inspection staffing, plants will be statutorily required to close or reduce operating hours, thus hurting workers’ paychecks, reducing the meat and poultry supply, and raising the cost of food.

• Implemented unfair trade practices to boost China: Republicans’ dangerous CR weakens the United States’ efforts to fight the unfair trade practices of the People’s Republic of China and other competitors, by reducing trade enforcement personnel at the Commerce Department, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and U.S. International Trade Commission.’

• Hindered wildfire suppression efforts: As communities continue to fear the next deadly wildfire, House Republicans are cutting Wildfire Suppression by 57 percent, a $2.4 billion cut.

• Hurt America’s small businesses: The Small Business Administration (SBA), Entrepreneurial Development Programs would be cut by 30 percent. This means approximately 400,000 fewer small businesses would be assisted. This would have a significant impact on underserved communities such as Veterans, Women, and Native American entrepreneurs.

• Slashed resources for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Opioid Use Disorder treatment: The Republican CR cuts funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by 38 percent. More than 1 million people facing a suicidal or mental health crisis would be unable to access support services through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and tens of thousands of individuals would be denied admission to opioid use disorder treatment, denying them a potentially life-saving path to recovery.

• Upended public safety, education, and other investments in Tribal communities: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) serves 574 federally recognized Tribes in areas such as social services and Indian child welfare, reservation roads, energy development, Tribal public safety, justice, law enforcement, and other fundamental services that have been historically underfunded. In this bill, House Republicans are cutting the BIA by 30 percent, slashing resources for education programs, school repairs, and facility construction projects. Professional staff, principals, and school administrators would all be at risk of losing their jobs.

• Curtailed mineral and energy development impacting jobs and local economies: A reduction of 30 percent would impact onshore oil and gas operations and inspections for the roughly 34,400 Federal onshore oil and gas leases and the roughly 30,000 inspections done across 32 States. This would increase public safety and health risks and delay work needed to maintain oil and gas programs. It would also derail permitting for energy and other infrastructure and renewable energy projects bringing the associated jobs and economic growth to a standstill.

• Cut loans and grants for farmers and rural communities: House Republicans are making it harder for farmers to access loans and grants making farm ownership more difficult. They are also cutting Rural Housing Service and Rural Utility Service programs that support single family home loans, rental assistance, water and waste programs, electric resources, and access to broadband.

• Eliminated health care services for rural and underserved families: More than 2 million vulnerable individuals and families, including rural and underserved populations, would lose access to health care services through Community Health Centers.

Find information about the impact of a Republican government shutdown on Alabama here.