Boyle, Pallone, Craig, Casar, Schneider, Correa Lead Fight Against Draconian Republican Cuts to Medicaid and Food Assistance

As Republicans push a far-right budget that hands $7 trillion in giveaways to billionaires and big corporations, leading Democrats introduced legislation to block the extreme and unprecedented cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in the Republican budget.

The Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act is led in the House by Representatives Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee; Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee; Angie Craig (MN-02), Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee; Greg Casar (TX-35), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus; Brad Schneider (IL-10), Chair of the New Democrat Coalition; and Lou Correa (CA-46), Blue Dog Coalition Co-Chair for Policy and Legislative Strategy Lou Correa.

“The reckless Republican budget scheme will slash nutritional assistance for working families and make the largest cut to Medicaid in history, all so they can give massive tax breaks to billionaire donors like Elon Musk,” said Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “These dangerous cuts are unconscionable and unacceptable, particularly at a time when Donald Trump has hit families with the largest tax increase since 1968. If House Republicans had any intention of making good on their promise to lower costs for everyday Americans, they would bring this bill to the House Floor for immediate consideration.”

“Republicans have written a budget that strips health care and food assistance from working families—all while handing massive giveaways to billionaires,” said Budget Committee Ranking Member Boyle. “These are the deepest cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in American history. This bill defends middle-class families against this cruelty — and if Republicans truly stand with everyday Americans, they’ll support this bill.”

“Republicans have repeatedly claimed they’re not going to take away people’s health care by cutting Medicaid. If that’s true, Republican leaders should immediately put this bill on the House floor to ensure Medicaid will not be cut to give tax breaks to the rich,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Pallone, Jr.

“Republicans have sworn up and down that their billionaire tax giveaway won’t cut SNAP benefits,” said Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Craig. “This bill keeps that promise by protecting SNAP in reconciliation. If Republicans want to help farmers and families struggling with rising prices caused by President Trump's trade war, they will support this bill.”

“House Democrats oppose taking food and health care from working people to pay for tax cuts for billionaires,” said Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Casar. “Now the question becomes: will just three House Republican reverse course on their plan, or will millions of Americans lose food and health care?”

“Democrats are united with people across the country: Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP! President Trump has slammed hardworking families and set fire to the economy with the largest tax increase in American history,” said New Democrat Coalition Chair Schneider. “Meanwhile, House Republicans are submissively bowing to the President and refusing to stop the ongoing economic crisis. In fact, they are plotting to make things even worse. Their proposed budget will rip away health care for hardworking Americans and going after programs like SNAP that enable more than 40 million Americans to put dinner on the table. I’m proud to stand with my Democratic colleagues across the caucus and country as we stand up to these harmful and disastrous Republican policies.”

“Thousands of hard-working Orange County taxpayers rely on Medicaid and SNAP to keep food on the table and their families healthy. And the GOP’s shameful budget plan includes hundreds of billions in cuts to these vital programs that our kids, seniors, and veterans depend on. It’s unacceptable, unconscionable, and un-American,” Blue Dog Coalition Co-Chair for Policy and Legislative Strategy Correa said. “We’re introducing this legislation to block these harmful cuts and ensure that tens of millions of our constituents continue to receive the health care and food assistance they need and deserve.”

While Republican leaders laughably claim they won’t cut Medicaid benefits, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office—at the request of Ranking Members Boyle and Pallone—confirmed that the Republican budget would result in the largest Medicaid cuts in U.S. history (see fact sheet here). The Republican proposal demands slashing at least $880 billion from programs under the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is impossible without devastating cuts to Medicaid, a critical program that provides essential health care to nearly one in three Americans.

The Republican budget also demands at least $230 billion in cuts to programs under the House Agriculture Committee, threatening the largest-ever cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps over 42 million Americans afford groceries. These cuts to food and health assistance come as grocery and health care costs remain high—and as Donald Trump advances a new wave of tariffs that would amount to the largest middle-class tax increase in 50 years, costing households an estimated $3,800 annually.

Meanwhile, the proposed cuts would be used to help pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. According to the nonpartisan Yale Budget Lab, nearly 70 percent of the benefits of the major policies in the Republican budget would go to the top 5 percent of earners. While the top 0.1 percent gets an annual tax cut of $314,266, working and middle-class families and would be left to bear the burden of higher costs and reduced access to health care and food assistance.

The Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act would protect families by prohibiting Republicans from weaponizing the reconciliation process to cut benefits or remove individuals from Medicaid and SNAP. This would help ensure that tens of millions of Americans continue to have access to essential health care and food assistance (district-level data is available here).

The text of the Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act is available here.

###