This legislative ask is designed to be shared with your members of Congress and their staff.
Congress is poised to move big legislation that could have a dramatic impact on millions of lives, taking health care and nutrition assistance away from families across the country while giving big tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations.
Medicaid provides health coverage for more than 70 million people in this country, including 2 out of every 5 births and 3 out of 5 people in nursing care facilities. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps more than 40 million people put food on the table. Yet, Congress is looking to
cut both Medicaid and SNAP in reconciliation legislation while prioritizing extending and expanding the 2017 tax cuts.
Rather than taking away health care and food assistance from millions of people struggling to get by, Congress should instead focus on policies that will strengthen communities and support family flourishing.
Oppose cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in reconciliation.
- Medicaid and SNAP offer critical assistance in all parts of the country, especially rural areas. 40.6% of children in rural areas and small towns are covered by Medicaid.
- Requiring people to report they’ve worked a certain number of hours each month presents bureaucratic red tape that kicks people off the program and doesn’t result in more people working. Placing this type of reporting requirement on Medicaid would put 36 million people at risk of losing their health coverage according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
- 20 million people are at risk of losing their health coverage if Congress eliminates the Medicaid expansion. If Congress reduces the amount the federal government gives states for Medicaid expansion by the slightest, many states will see their Medicaid expansion automatically end.
- SNAP already has tight work requirements. Important exceptions exist, such as areas with high unemployment, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and parents of school-age kids. Taking away food from people who aren’t working in areas where there are no jobs or from parents with young children will not increase employment but will exacerbate hardship for those already struggling.
- Extending the 2017 tax cuts would give the richest 0.1% a $314,000 tax cut each year.