Proclamation No. 17-0661
Urging Colorado’s Congressional Delegation to Reject the President’s Proposed Federal Budget
WHEREAS, as reported by various media and organizations (Denver Post, New York Times, Associated Press, Denver
Department of Human Services, Denver Health, and The Center on Budget & Policy Priorities) President Donald Trump’s
recent $4.1 trillion proposed budget shifts spending from domestic programs to the military posing substantial challenges
for vulnerable Denverites and for the City’s overall economy and quality of life: while adding $469 billion to defense spending
and $2.6 billion for border security, including the infamous border wall, it slashes billions in funding for critical safety net
programs; and
WHEREAS, the President’s budget eliminates $610 billion for Medicaid over 10 years and this, coupled with the $834 in
Medicaid reductions proposed in Trumpcare, would slash the program, which provides health insurance for the poor,
including 60% of nursing home residents, by 45% by 2026 compared with current law; this will most certainly negatively
impact Denver Health which currently derives almost half its funding from Medicaid-related payments; and
WHEREAS, for the approximately 223,231 Denverites receiving medical assistance (Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus)
and the nearly 9,000 receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Denver Department of Human
Services notes that program reductions will increase poverty for all ages of people which is a key social indicator of child
abuse, school performance, mental health issues, addiction, criminal system involvement, and homelessness: “Simply put,
such cuts create a less healthy, less educated, and less productive citizenry, and will result in significant financial pressures
on other systems (such as hospital emergency rooms and the criminal justice system)”; and
WHEREAS, the President’s budget includes huge reductions in other programs for the nation’s poorest including Food
stamps (-$191 billion); Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (-$22 billion); and Social Security disability benefits (-$70
billion) and proposes to shift costs of the now federally-funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food
assistance program (which serves half a million Coloradans monthly and nearly 87,000 Denverites) to the state to the tune
of $182 million yearly or $1.3 billion over the next decade, a cost Colorado is unlikely to be able to absorb; and
WHEREAS, cuts of 31.4% for the Environmental Protection Agency, threaten Denver’s quality of life as clean air and water,
natural resources, and related recreational opportunities are an integral part of the Denver and Colorado lifestyle and
contributes to Denver’s ranking as among the most active and healthy populations; and
WHEREAS, perhaps the most egregious cuts, are slated for the leading federal clean energy research office, The Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy which will see a reported 69 percent decline, resulting in staffing reductions of
almost 28 percent, essentially crippling Colorado’s innovative National Renewal Energy Lab in Golden and other efforts to
embrace innovation and support Denver’s growing alternative energy economy; and
WHEREAS, the President also proposes to cut major job training grants by 40 percent, even though many workers need to
upgrade their skills to succeed in today’s rapidly changing economy; to eliminate housing vouchers for more than 250,000
lower-income households, and end the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps poor households pay
their heating bills; and
WHEREAS, Governor Hickenlooper was quoted recently in the Denver Post as characterizing the proposed budget as
“Robin Hood in reverse---stealing from the poor (and the middle class) to give to the rich” via devastating cuts to domestic
programs including highway funding and medical research, as well as, safety net programs.

 NOW THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER
Section 1. That the Council of the City and County of Denver hereby requests that the Colorado Congressional Delegation
consider the impacts of drastic cuts in safety net programs on the people of Denver and Colorado and work to develop a
more appropriate and less onerous federal budget that supports out most vulnerable citizens.

Section 2. That the Clerk of the City and County of Denver shall affix the seal of the City and County of Denver to this
proclamation and that copies be transmitted to:
U.S. Senator, Michael Bennett
U.S. Senator, Cory Gardner
U.S. Representative, Diana DeGette (District 1)
U.S. Representative, Jared Polis, (District 2)
U.S. Representative, Scott Tipton, (District 3)
U.S. Representative, Ken Buck, (District 4)
U.S. Representative, Doug Lamborn, (District 5)
U.S. Representative, Mike Coffman, (District 6)
U.S. Representative, Ed Perlmutter, (District 7)

PASSED BY THE COUNCIL JUNE 5, 2017

_________________________________________ PRESIDENT