It’s not hard to imagine what will happen if the federal government moves forward with a plan to cut about $1.5 trillion over the next decade from programs that provide health insurance and food supports to Americans who need it the most. The impact on people in every state will be immediate and severe. In a cruel twist, those “savings” would be used to fund a tax cut for Americans who have the most. This is the scenario the nation faces today.
Even as I write this, Medicaid and SNAP—programs that provide health insurance and food supports to tens of millions of people, saving lives and improving lives—are endangered. It’s unclear how much each program might be cut, or whether strict work documentation requirements will be enacted, or how this all will play out in the days and months ahead as Congress works toward a budget deal. But the threats are real and staggering.
The above is an excerpt of an op-ed originally published in Inside Philanthropy.
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