Progressive Caucus Leaders Release the Back to Work Budget to Create 7 Million Jobs

Leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, including Co-Chairs Reps. Raul M. Grijalva and Keith Ellison and Budget Taskforce members Reps. Jim McDermott, Jan Schakowsky, Barbara Lee and Mark Pocan, today released their fiscal year 2014 budget alternative, the Back to Work Budget, which creates almost 7 million jobs over the first year and reduces the deficit by $4.4 trillion over the next 10 years.

"Americans face a choice," Grijalva and Ellison said. "We can either cut Medicare benefits to pay for more tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, or we can close outdated tax loopholes and invest in jobs. We choose investment."

The Back to Work Budget invests in America's future because the best way to reduce our long-term deficit is to put America back to work. It repeals the arbitrary sequester and the Budget Control Act spending caps that are damaging the economy. The Back to Work Budget reduces unemployment to near 5 percent in three years with a jobs plan that includes repairing our nation's roads and bridges and putting teachers, cops and firefighters back to work.

The budget reduces the deficit by $4.4 trillion by closing tax loopholes and making sure the wealthy pay their fair share. We strengthen Medicare and Medicaid, which provide high-quality, low-cost medical coverage to millions of Americans.

"This is what the country voted for in November," the Co-Chairs said. "It's time we side with America's middle class and working families instead of leaving them to go it alone. We believe in the American people and a government that works for everyone, and that's what this budget delivers."

Details can be found here.