Shumlin administration officials made appearances at both the House Republican and Democratic caucuses today to urge both parties to accept two of their most controversial 2014 budget proposals.
Secretary of Human Services Doug Racine and Commissioner of the Department for Children and Families (DCF) Dave Yacavone, have already circulated through several committees in both the House and the Senate to make the case for increasing child-care subsidies by taking $17 million from the state’s earned income tax credit (EITC) and for putting time limits on welfare benefits.
Today, they addressed both parties at large, and fielded a litany of questions from Democrats.
Racine acknowledged staunch resistance that proposals have run up against in the Legislature, joking that, “We’ve actually unified all three parties in this building” — in opposition to them.
Racine depicted the plan to expand child-care subsidies by reducing the EITC as a “tradeoff,” but, he said, it’s one that will offer the state “the biggest bang for the buck.”
Democratic representatives peppered the secretary with questions about why the Shumlin administration zeroed in on the EITC as the source of funds.
“I think I’d like to ask you to revisit the funding source,” said Rep. Curtis McCormack, D-Burlington. “You’ve chosen the worst one you could have. You’ve struck at the heart of our poverty programs.”
Rep. Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington, urged the Shumlin administration to look at reducing or eliminating other tax credits to drum up the revenue.
Rep. Ann Pugh, D-South Burlington, who as chair of the Human Services Committee has heard testimony on both proposals, asked about the necessity of putting a cap on Reach Up benefits when, according the DCF, there are only about 20 people who aren’t complying with the program.
The questions filled the hour allotted for caucus, and many hands were still raised at the time of adjournment.
Republican representatives expressed concern that the proposals unfairly disadvantaged people who choose to stay at home with their children and asked for more information about the other benefits available to people receiving the EITC or benefiting from Reach Up.
