Skip to main content

Foster Statement on FY 2018 Republican Budget Resolution

October 26, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC - As a businessman and the only PhD scientist in Congress, I always look to the facts to make thoughtful policy decisions, and the claim that the Republican budget will grow the economy and help the middle class is not based on facts. This budget will inflict hardship on millions of Americans while paving the way for tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires – tax breaks that history shows will not help grow our economy or create jobs. Instead, this budget would create unprecedented levels of government debt that would crowd out private-sector lending and destroy private-sector investments that create middle class jobs. The Republican budget would hurt Americans who rely on Medicare, while leaving $1.5 trillion more debt for our children to repay.

Republican budget and tax proposals would also cost Illinois over $10 billion dollars, aggravating a state budgetary crisis that already harms taxpayers, students, veterans, and the elderly. In other states that will be hurt as badly as Illinois by Republican tax and budget proposals, members of both parties have come together to voice their opposition. While I am committed to working with all my colleagues in the U.S. Congress to simplify our tax code and make commonsense reforms to our budget, I will not support proposals that benefit wealthy campaign donors at the expense of the hardworking citizens of Illinois and all Americans.