Paul Ryan paints himself as a champion of “the people” over “Washington.”
But the “people” the new House speaker defends are corporations. And the “Washington” he attacks is the one that does deliver for real people.
For the past five years, Ryan has authored the budget passed by the House of Representatives. His imprint is so great that each document is commonly known as the “Ryan budget.”
Every year, those budgets reliably propose sharp cuts to social services alongside steep tax discounts for the rich. His caucus demands these cuts, Ryan claims, because “we trust the American people.” After all, he adds, “Who knows better? The people or Washington?”
But when you look beyond these sound-bite politics at the actual choices Ryan makes in his budget, it’s easy to see whom he really trusts – and whom he really works for.
How, for example, does cutting $89 billion in Pell grants for college – as his budget last year did – put more trust in working families who are struggling to give their children a college education?