WASHINGTON—Last night as the House Rules Committee raced to jam the disastrous Republican budget bill through to the House floor for a final vote, U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) offered amendments to make the bill less damaging to Arizona.
“We offered dozens of amendments to bring this bill in line with our promises to the American people–lower costs, better jobs, affordable health care and safer communities. Republicans blocked every single one,” said Stanton.
Stanton offered the following amendments:
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Prohibit implementation until staffing levels for wildland firefighters in the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Affairs return to necessary staffing levels, and prohibits wildland firefighters from being subject to future reductions in force.
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The Administration’s decision to lay-off and then clumsily rehire hundreds of wildland firefighters as part of reduction in force efforts at the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior put our communities at risk–including in Northern Arizona, where the Oak Ridge Fire is threatening the capital of the Navajo Nation and hundreds of homes and businesses.
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Prohibit funds from being used until the Federal Emergency Management Agency has rehired necessary staff, and the Agency has adequate Disaster Relief Fund funding for the 2025 disaster season.
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FEMA’s own reports, published monthly, indicate that the Disaster Relief fund will run a $6 billion deficit before the end of the fiscal year–jeopardizing the federal government’s ability to respond to wildfires, floods and other natural disasters.
Stanton also backed amendments that would:
Protect Arizonans’ Access to Health Care
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Strikes provisions related to provider taxes and state-directed payments.
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The Senate-passed bill imposes severe reductions to provider taxes and state-directed payment programs that will decimate Arizona’s health care infrastructure. The cuts to the provider tax funding mechanisms would escalate every year, totaling $7.8 billion through 2032 ($1.1 billion cut per year on average) in reduced funding to Arizona’s hospitals.
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Delays the enactment of Medicaid work requirements until the Congressional Budget Office certifies that it will not reduce the number of individuals with substance use disorder who are eligible for Medicaid.
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Strikes the section of the bill that cuts Medicaid payments to non-profit family planning providers that offer abortions and replaces it with text of Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act, which requires coverage for abortion care through public health insurance programs, including Medicaid and Medicare.
Lower Cost of Living for Families
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Prohibits funds from being distributed the Joint Committee on Taxation determines that the legislation will cause an increase in taxes or cost of living for those with a taxable income of less than $400,000.
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Prevents the amendments made to the clean energy credits from taking effect until the Comptroller General certifies that they will not increase electricity prices for any American household.
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Re-appoints employees working to administer the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program at the Department of Health and Human Services, and prevents further reductions in force of the LIHEAP Division.
Defend Arizona’s Clean Energy Economy
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Strikes the sections that repeal and phaseout tax credits for clean, cheap energy.
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Prevents any rollback of clean energy tax credits until certification that doing so will not increase the risk of blackouts during extreme weather conditions.
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Eliminates the section that terminates the Clean Vehicle Credit.
Ensure Arizona’s Tribes Have a Seat at the Table
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Requires meaningful and timely Tribal consultation for any projects authorized under this title.