The Coalition on Human Needs sent the following letter to every Senate office on June 4, 2026, urging a no vote on Senator Tillis’s amendment #5452 along with upping our no vote recommendation on the underlying DHS reconciliation package). At a time when so many in communities across the country are struggling with rising costs of living, we are concerned that this Administration’s Department of Justice would use resources for so-called “fraud prevention” that could make it harder for families to access basic needs programs by attacking service providers and localities, exacerbating the crises families are facing. 

The amendment was defeated 15-84, but we will continue to monitor threats to basic needs programs under the guise of so-called “fraud”. And we continue to support efforts to put a definitive end to the Trump administration’s planned $1.776 billion slush fund.

Dear Senator:

On behalf of the Coalition on Human Needs, I strongly urge you to vote NO on Sen. Tillis’s pending amendment #5452, “To reallocate funds that would have been used for the Anti-Weaponization Fund to fraud enforcement.” While we communicated yesterday our support of efforts to put a definitive end to the Trump administration’s planned $1.776 billion slush fund, this should not come at the expense of access to basic needs programs via attacks on local service providers and government entities from a “weaponized” Department of Justice.

The Coalition on Human Needs is made up of human service providers, faith groups, policy experts, and civil rights, labor, and other organizations concerned with meeting the needs of people with low incomes. Many are dealing with the aftermath of historic cuts to basic needs programs including SNAP, Medicaid and the ACA, higher education, the Child Tax Credit, and other human needs programs.  We’re already seeing the impacts – from enactment until February, more than 3.5 million people lost access to SNAP’s food assistance, while 1.4 million children have lost Medicaid/CHIP coverage with experts flagging that many more are losing coverage in 2026, while CMS’s new Medicaid work reporting rule will create confusion and chaos for states. At a time that many are dealing with rising costs and policy changes that make it harder to put food on the table and access health coverage, giving the administration the authority to further disrupt the lives of low-income working families and providers will increase hardship for families across the country. Families are facing a basic needs crisis and this proposal will only exacerbate the hardship that families, providers, and local policymakers are facing.

We agree that actual fraud should be identified and vigorously combatted — but taking away access to health services, food assistance, child care, housing, and other basic needs from families who have done no wrong does nothing to address this and is not the answer to concerns about program integrity. We are concerned that this amendment is part of a larger threat to basic needs programs that could mean children, seniors, and people with disabilities lose health coverage, including home care services that enable older adults and people with disabilities to remain in their homes, further cuts  to SNAP’s vital food assistance that millions need amid rising grocery costs, etc.

Congress should be protecting health care, food assistance, housing, child care, and other basic needs, not exacerbating the crisis families are facing by undermining basic needs programs and the important local service providers who help address hardship in their local communities. We urge you to reject Sen. Tillis’s amendment #5452, vote NO on underlying reconciliation package, and urge Leadership along with colleagues to instead protect and strengthen basic needs programs.

Sincerely yours,

Deborah Weinstein,
Executive Director