The Senate is expected to vote on its version of the Big Brutal Bill this week and—like its House counterpart—it’s devastating for nutrition and health care programs for vulnerable communities.
The Senate proposal includes the largest cut to SNAP in history, as part of a budget package that guts basic needs programs.
The bill also contains the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, and will result in 16 million people losing their health insurance. A recent analysis of the House-passed bill found that because of the cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, and reduced staffing requirements at nursing homes, 51,000 people will die each year.
Additionally, according to the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as many as 330 rural hospitals nationwide could close or reduce services as a result of this bill. And, new research shows that cuts to Medicaid along with SNAP will reduce jobs by 1.2 million nationwide, equivalent to about a 0.8% increase in the unemployment rate.
Cutting the heart out of basic needs programs including SNAP and Medicaid doesn’t save states or the federal government money—it denies care and creates bigger problems down the road, shifting the burden to service providers, local governments, and taxpayers. This will lead to higher costs and more strain on budgets—household and state budgets alike. And it will cost lives.
It’s not too late to change course. Now more than ever, it’s critical that the Senate act to 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
The National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference, co-sponsored by the Food Research & Action Center and Feeding America, and in cooperation with the National CACFP Forum, draws anti-hunger and anti-poverty advocates; federal, state and local government officials; child advocates; representatives of food banks and food rescue organizations; sponsoring organizations and nutrition and anti-obesity groups.
Members of Congress, Hill staff, and key Administration officials attend the conference, provide comments as part of plenary sessions and panels, and join participants at receptions and special events.
The three-day event is packed with numerous networking opportunities, interactive training, content-rich sessions, and a day on Capitol Hill to meet with Members of Congress and their key staffers. Participants share information and learn how to strengthen the quality and reach of federal nutrition programs, learn best outreach and program practices from other states and localities, fill in the gaps in food service for millions of low-income children, and identify creative ideas for new and innovative approaches to ending hunger.
The National CACFP Leadership track brings together the CACFP community to discover best practices, shape change, meet with USDA officials, and learn strategies for successfully implementing the new healthier CACFP meal pattern, identify opportunities for cutting red tape, and building a thriving CACFP program.
The conference plenaries and interactive, content-rich workshops will be critical for exchanging ideas for how to ensure struggling households have the nutritional resources they need to weather the long-term fallout of the pandemic.
This year, the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference is going virtual to allow thousands of anti-hunger advocates from all across the country to safely and conveniently attend from home. You will hear from officials from the Biden-Harris Administration and the new Congress and capture the energy and networking opportunities that are the hallmark of this annual conference.