Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs, released a statement yesterday that there is one simple way we can deal with the upcoming Republican-manufactured faux budget crisis designed to extract painful benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid: eliminate it. 

“It’s time Republicans wake up to what’s really about to happen to America’s families," Grijalva and Ellison write. "It’s time to eliminate the sequester.”

Here's an excerpt of the statement:

If Congress cannot come up with a replacement to the sequester before the end of the week, we should eliminate the sequester entirely. One million working Americans should not be forced to pay the price for Republican stubbornness. If this goes into effect, it will be one of the most irresponsible legislative failures in the history of the Republic.

We would prefer to replace the sequester with a balanced approach to deficit reduction. The Progressive Caucus already introduced a bill called the Balancing Act that reflects what the American people voted for in November. It replaces the sequester with a fair approach to new revenue and necessary Pentagon budget cuts, and it creates jobs all over the country. It equalizes the budget cuts we’ve already made with revenue by closing tax loopholes for America’s wealthiest individuals and corporations. We shouldn’t sacrifice our economic recovery because Republicans are unwilling to vote for a penny in new contributions from their billionaire friends.

To see how the sequester would hurt your state, check out this new state-by-state breakdown from the Washington Post based off of White House estimates.

Working families across the United States are asking their elected representatives to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from benefit cuts, repeal the sequester and close tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthiest 2%.  

Check out some more solutions from the AFL-CIO on what Congress should do.