It’s time to take action! The Senate is currently reviewing its version of the federal budget already passed in the House. There are seriously harmful cuts to benefits and rights we count on as workers. Below is a brief summary of their plans to cut from programs we count on to fund and supercharge a massive giveaway to billionaires.
Runaway inequality is already at a crisis level. This federal budget will make it far worse and much harder for workers to fight back against corporations or make our government work for us.
Call your Senators NOW! It only takes 3-4 minutes, but makes a huge difference!
Below are a few of the most harmful details and how they affect Flight Attendants — and then what you can do to help stop it.
- Medicaid: Experts say more than 10 million people will lose healthcare if this bill passes — including millions of working people.
- Social Security and Medicare: Republicans in Congress are already suggesting huge cuts to Medicare to help pay for their billionaire tax breaks, and the strain this bill puts on our entire budget sets the stage for Congress to consider significant Social Security cuts in the coming years.
- Hospitals will close: Cuts to Medicaid will put extreme strain on hospitals and everyone’s care regardless of insurance type. Experts say one in three rural hospitals will be forced to close. Wait times will increase in urban and suburban hospitals as more people without coverage are forced to use the ER for basic services.
- Food assistance: Experts say 7 million people could lose some or all of their SNAP benefits (food stamps). Many of the people who support our work will suffer, and so will thousands of Flight Attendants.
- Attacks on labor rights: Our jobs rely on skilled federal workers, from TSOs to ATCs and federal safety inspectors. This bill adds a new 5% tax for all federal workers who want labor rights, and a 10% tax on their union dues and charitable contributions paid by direct withdrawal. The only purpose of this is to punish federal workers who want due process and a fair contract at work — making it that much easier for corporations to follow suit.
- Killing good jobs: This bill cuts off investments in renewable technology. That kills good jobs in construction and manufacturing today, and makes pollution worse. Extreme weather and Clear Air Turbulence from climate pollution are already disrupting our jobs, and this bill will supercharge that danger.
- A giveaway to billionaires: Who benefits? The ultra-wealthy. Families earning $4.3 million or more per year would get a tax break of at least $390,070 in 2026, and billionaires could see staggering tax breaks they simply don’t need.
- Violent and illegal immigration action: This bill includes tens of billions to build vast detention centers and pay for even more out-of-control ICE raids that are already terrorizing communities, separating children and parents, and even sweeping up legal residents and citizens. All without fixing the broken immigration system.
- More debt for everyday people: All these severe cuts are coupled with enormous tax cuts for billionaires and corporations, adding to the deficit $4.5 trillion over the next ten years. This will likely increase interest rates and working families’ personal debt.
- Undermining the Constitution: The House version of the bill would make it nearly impossible for the courts to enforce legal orders. That gives those elected by the billionaires a blank check to do whatever they want — on aviation safety, on Medicare or Social Security, on labor laws, on anything — regardless of whether the courts say those actions are unconstitutional.
- AI Moratorium: Buried is a dangerous provision that prevents states and local governments from regulating AI. AI can be a powerful tool to boost productivity and innovation but only if properly regulated. Banning states and localities from acting means the workers and consumers will be left unprotected from the negative effects of AI.
- Investments in air transportation system: The bill would increase funding for FAA investments in air traffic control technology and to hire controllers, technicians and other vital aviation workers. That is good and we support this one part of the bill. But this won’t undo the enormous damage already done by Musk and DOGE in attacking federal workers. Already new “investments” are being funneled to this administration’s allies like Musk and Bezos for questionable technologies.
We encourage all Flight Attendants to make our voices heard! Call on our Senators to stop this disastrous, union-busting, giveaway to the filthy rich at our expense.
Mahalo for speaking up and taking care of one another, ensuring our voices are heard in Congress.
