The disastrous budget reconciliation package that is now in the Senate will severely harm at-risk communities unless substantial changes are made.
The $295 million in SNAP cuts will increase hunger across the country, hitting children, seniors, and working families the hardest. At a time when food insecurity is still high in many communities, cutting SNAP is both cruel and short-sighted.
Roughly 15 million Americans will lose health coverage because of the $800 billion cut to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act along with other provisions in the House package.
Tens of millions of people with low incomes will lose access to basic needs programs, all to give tax breaks that primarily benefit the wealthy and corporations while inflicting harm on immigrant communities.
We cannot keep allowing the passage of these unfair tax policies that disproportionately benefit the rich while making low-income and vulnerable communities suffer, including by taking food assistance and health care away from millions. That’s not good for our society or economy.
Now more than ever, it’s critical that Congress protect health care, nutrition, and other essential services that help millions of families meet their basic needs. We should strengthen support for these programs—not take them away. We need each and every Senator to get a strong and clear message that their constituents oppose these harmful proposals.
In response to the massive public health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has passed a historic $2.3 trillion relief and recovery package. The legislation enacted so far takes some important steps towards responding to the crisis. But it does not do enough, and Congress will have to return to ensure that the people most in need – and whose aid will do the most to spur recovery – get adequate help. Join CHN as we examine the good and the bad of what’s available so far, and the human needs that still must be addressed in a fourth package. We’ll discuss cash assistance, expanded benefits, help for nonprofits, and new programs such as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. And we’ll let you know how you can take action to call on Congress to take the next steps needed.
If we cast aside any of us – whether incarcerated, homeless, immigrant, poor – it will hurt all of us. Congress may have dispersed, like all of us, but we still must work together to recover from this pandemic.
A captioned recording of this webinar along with the slides is available here.