Welch Files Budget Amendments to Help Hardworking Vermonters

Welch filed 61 amendments to the budget 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, filed 61 amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget plan. The Senator’s amendments aim to help working families through the affordability crisis, defend programs, services, and disaster aid from Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), and combat President Trump’s reckless, illegal agenda.  

Senate Republicans’ budget plan, unveiled Wednesday, attacks Medicaid, Medicare, and

the health care of seniors, children, people with disabilities, and rural patients; threatens Social Security for millions; raises costs for working families and enables President Trump’s trade war; jeopardizes support and health care for veterans; and gives DOGE a greenlight to destroy the federal government—all in the service of paying for Trump’s tax cut to billionaires.  

“A budget plan says a lot about your values, and President Trump and Senate Republicans’ budget is cruel. They’re threatening the economic and physical health of families, seniors, children, and folks across the country. They’re trying to cut federal funding for hardworking Americans and pass $7 trillion in tax breaks for billionaires and corporations. I’m standing up against their nonsense every step of the way,” said Senator Welch. “That’s why I’ve filed 61 amendments to their budget, which will better address the affordability crisis Vermonters face right now and defend against Elon Musk’s attempts to dismantle our government and the programs people rely on.”   

Senator Welch’s amendments to the Republican budget resolution would:   

Address the Affordability Crisis: 

• An amendment to block tax cuts to billionaires paid for by cutting meals for hungry seniors and eliminating child care services for families. 

• Amendments to support federal dairy programs, organic farmers, and young and beginning farmers. 

• An amendment to address the impacts of disasters in rural communities.   

• An amendment to promote innovation, domestic job creation and U.S. competitiveness. This amendment would support Vermont’s growing semiconductor industry and America’s Tech Hubs. 

• Amendments to block the extension of tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations until all federal services are provided. 

Defend Federal Programs and Disaster Aid from Elon Musk: 

• Amendments to prohibit cuts to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Weatherization Assistance Program, and to improve rural access to nutrition programs. 

• Amendments to protect and defend rural broadband deployment and promote internet affordability.   

• An amendment to prohibit the elimination of over-to-phone identity verification for Social Security beneficiaries. 

• Amendments to prohibit the reduction or elimination of funding for rural care providers, health centers, and critical access hospitals.   

• Amendments to limit affiliates of the Department of Government Efficiency’s ability to access federal payment systems and personally identifiable information of Social Security beneficiaries. 

• An amendment to protect disaster survivors’ data privacy during any interaction with Department of Government Efficiency personnel. 

• An amendment prohibiting any reduction in disaster response and recovery programs for States and local communities. 

Combat Trump’s Reckless and Illegal Agenda:   

• Amendments to preserve relations between the United States and Canada, and to prohibit Canadian energy tariffs that raise energy costs domestically.  

• An amendment to block legislation that enables U.S. troops to operate in Gaza to assist in the displacement or removal of Palestinians from Gaza. 

• An amendment to prevent enforcement of the Alien Enemies Act, unless there is a declared war between the United States and any foreign government, or an invasion of predatory incursion is perpetrated. 

• An amendment to prevent the arrest, detainment and deportation of college students and faculty on the grounds they have expressed views the sitting administration objects to. 

• An amendment that would block legislation banning the Associated Press from the White House. 

• An amendment that would preserve United States-Denmark relations. 

• An amendment to address global hunger including hiring aid workers and facilitating the dispersal of aid into Gaza 

In addition, Senator Welch cosponsored 31 amendments.