Why the Senate Must Reject Reckless House Cuts and Protect Medicaid and SNAP

Millions of individuals and families could soon lose access to essential health care and food they rely on – unless the Senate stops the proposed House cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

In May, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced a budget reconciliation package that threatens to strip millions of people across the country of essential food and affordable health care. The proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, which may go by different names in each state, will have devastating consequences – not just for individuals, but for the health and economic stability of our nation.

These programs are more than budget line items. They are a vital safety net for families, seniors, veterans, children and people with disabilities and chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease.

Medicaid is the largest public insurance program in the United States, providing 80 million adults and children access to preventive services, and helping them manage long-term illnesses and avoid costly emergency care. Cutting funding to this program would not only compromise individual health outcomes but also put more financial burden on patients and families, ultimately increasing long-term health care costs. Extending enhanced advance premium tax credits for those obtaining private health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace will also help millions of patients maintain their health coverage, avoiding harmful disruptions in care.

SNAP has been a cornerstone in the fight against hunger and poverty for more than 50 years. It supports more than 40 million people in the United States each month, including one in five children, and plays a crucial role in improving access to nutritious food. Creating new unnecessary bureaucratic barriers to access and reducing benefits would disproportionally impact low-income families and children’s ability to eat.

While school meals eligibility remains unchanged, the downstream impact of cutting families off Medicaid and SNAP would be felt deeply by the children whose families rely on eligibility in those programs for automatic enrollment in school meal programs. The proposed changes in SNAP and Medicaid will deny children free school meals.

We also encourage the Senate to preserve and support beneficial provisions in the House reconciliation package including the inclusion of the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act (AKACA), which would streamline access to specialized care for children on Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

People across the country are urging and relying on their senators to reject any provisions that will weaken Medicaid and SNAP. The decisions made by Congress in the days and weeks to come will shape the health and well-being of generations to come. Short-term budget savings should not come at the cost of decades of health consequences.

The Senate has an opportunity and responsibility to ensure that the budget reconciliation bill protects and strengthens these essential programs so everyone, everywhere has access to the health care and nutrition they need to thrive.