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.
Even if you can’t attend, you should register to get access to the webinar recording with captions, slides, and follow-up information.
Each year, the President is mandated by law to submit a proposed federal budget to Congress. The budget states the President’s priorities. For the Trump Administration, that means cuts to human needs programs and big Pentagon increases. This year, we expect the proposed budget will be released the week of March 11th.
The Coalition on Human Needs is hosting a webinar to tell you what you need to know about the Trump budget and the work ahead for better alternatives in Congress. One of the biggest issues: will Congress lift looming spending caps that will slash domestic programs by about 10 percent? We’ve already heard that the President wants to make deep cuts in domestic appropriations while dramatically increasing funds for the Pentagon. Advocates need to know how to prevent those cuts, how to fight against cuts to basic needs programs like Medicaid or SNAP, and how to advance real improvements in the services we need. On this webinar, you’ll find out more about the spending caps and how the President’s proposals will affect low- and moderate-income people through likely cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, housing, help for people with disabilities, education and job training, social services, and public health programs. And you’ll learn about opportunities to protect and expand human needs programs as Congress takes up the FY 2020 budget.
Sharon Parrott: Sharon is Senior Fellow and Senior Counselor at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. A preeminent expert on federal budget and anti-poverty policy, Sharon served for two years as Associate Director for the Education, Income Maintenance, and Labor (EIML) Division at the Office of Management and Budget within the Obama Administration.
Deborah Weinstein: Debbie is Executive Director of the Coalition on Human Needs. In her 16 years at CHN, she has focused on educating advocates about how to engage in critical federal budget choices on behalf of low-income people.
The webinar will be captioned. The webinar will also be recorded, and all registrants will get the recording link with captions, slides, and follow-up information.