Oxfam criticized the inclusion of a number of dangerous spending cuts and policy changes in the proposal being considered to prevent US default today.
Oxfam warned that the current proposal would cut billions in life saving foreign aid, gutting vital programs and lifesaving humanitarian assistance, while global needs continue to increase due to hunger, conflict, and climate catastrophes.
“We should never balance the budget on the backs of the poorest,” said Gina Cummings, Oxfam America’s Vice President of Advocacy, Alliances & Policy. “Poverty-reducing foreign aid makes up less than 1% of the U.S. federal budget and plays a critical role around the world saving lives, helping people escape poverty, reducing inequality, and helping to mitigate compounding crises.”
Oxfam also criticized the handouts given to Big Oil by gutting bedrock environmental justice laws and fast-tracking fossil fuel projects, selling out frontline communities in the name of “compromise.” Forcing the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline doubles down on fossil fuel projects with major climate, environmental, and human rights risks. This and other rollbacks to vital community protections never received a full public debate – they were simply included as a ransom to prevent financial collapse.
“Big Oil and its enablers in Congress are holding our economy hostage for huge profits at the expense of our climate, economy, & working families,” continued Cummings. “Members of Congress must protect the health & well-being of our communities by choosing people over polluters.”
Oxfam also pointed out that the National Environmental Policy Act is a crucial law to ensure that we have a just and clean energy revolution, and called any attempts to weaken it completely unacceptable.
“Allowing the dirtiest mining and fossil fuel projects to skirt accountability and continue to devastate marginalized communities goes against our international climate commitments, and is just plain wrong,” added Cummings.
Oxfam warned that cuts to funds for the Internal Revenue Service could gravely undermine efforts to ensure the wealthiest individuals and corporations pay their fair share of taxes.
“Effective taxation is vital to addressing extreme wealth concentration and the structural barriers that exist in our economy,” said Cummings. “Clawing back funds meant to help the IRS go after tax dodgers would be a huge step backwards.”
Oxfam also sharply criticized needless limitations in critical social safety net programs, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF), cautioning that such changes would result in harmful cuts to assistance.
“These cuts are so cruel, especially as our economy is still in the process of recovering from the COVID pandemic and as food prices continue to soar,” concluded Cummings. “Agreeing to a deal that cuts programs on which so many rely while letting the billionaires off the hook, is inhumane and counterproductive.”