The House of Representatives passed its Reconciliation Bill, and it now moves to the Senate where the bill is expected to undergo significant revisions. The House bill would cut $700 billion over 10 years in Medicaid spending, leaving 7.6 million American families without health-care coverage. It also reduces spending for food assistance like SNAP to the nation’s poorest by an estimated $300 billion over 10 years, adversely impacting 40 million low-income persons, including 16 million children. As many as 5.4 million per year could lose food assistance from the cuts. This bill also imposes increased work requirements and cost-sharing formulas for states which would incur higher SNAP benefit costs, resulting in more stringent eligibility requirements. 

Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) holds a firm policy position that cuts to SNAP and Medicaid would result in a serious decline in both the quantity and quality of services available to children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families. Our own local Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens share this concern especially with regard to our ability to provide food and basic housing assistance to clients that are barely able to get by with the growing cost of food and basic expenses.

These changes reduce access to essential nutrition benefits and health care and behavioral health services for individuals with nowhere else to turn. Medicaid cuts would disproportionately impact people living in rural communities and small towns, the very communities that already have lower incomes, fewer opportunities for employment, and less access to social services. The additional SNAP work requirements and increased state cost-sharing formulas could keep 11 million people from receiving food assistance, or getting it significantly reduced, including 4 million children whose parents would no longer qualify for benefits.

You can help your brothers and sisters in need. Tell your Senators to say NO to cuts in SNAP and Medicaid benefits.