Paul Ryan’s Farewell Address: Transcript Shows Nonsense on Poverty
Matthew Yglesias, vox.com: Paul Ryan’s farewell address: transcript shows nonsense on poverty
In their story on Paul Ryan’s legacy, Robert Costa and Mike DeBonis reflect that not only has “the nation’s red ink … grown since Ryan became speaker,” it’s also the case that “issues dear to Ryan such as immigration and poverty will remain for future lawmakers to solve.”
It’s important, however, to correctly understand the hierarchy of Ryan’s priorities. Ideas to help the poor, like the EITC, need to take a back seat to deficit concerns. Tax cuts for the rich, however, are worth doing even when they increase the deficit. And when it comes time to cut the deficit, the best way to do it is to take away poor people’s health insurance.
Under the circumstances, America’s struggling families should feel lucky that Ryan never really got around to implementing his vision for their future.