Medicaid, SNAP under attack to offset tax cuts for the wealthy

A version of this column originally appeared in The Alpena News.

Last week, new budget bills passed out of several U.S. House Congressional committees that paint a clear, egregious picture of how the GOP plans to pay for major tax giveaways for the wealthy. In a very “reverse Robin Hood” fashion, they plan to strip health care and food away from families in our country who are already struggling to make ends meet, all to make the rich richer.

The impact of the GOP’s emerging plan would be nothing short of devastating for everyday people and families across our country and right here in Michigan. The plan includes at least $625 billion in cuts to Medicaid, roughly $300 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and trillions of dollars in tax breaks that will mostly benefit the top 1% of earners in the U.S., while leaving children from low-income families out of the expanded maximum Child Tax Credit. 

We here at the Michigan League for Public Policy are gravely concerned that House Republicans have put aside the needs of their constituents and of their states’ economies by moving these bills forward. Slashing life-saving programs like Medicaid and SNAP in order to create tax cuts that mainly benefit the wealthy is unconscionable. 

Here in Michigan, more than 2.6 million people depend on Medicaid for essential care, with the highest percentage of participants living in rural and northern counties. 

However, if the House Republicans’ budget plans become a reality, roughly 740,000 Michiganders who gained Medicaid coverage through the Healthy Michigan Plan might lose it again due to newly enacted work requirements. Those requirements would create more red tape, which could strip coverage away from children, seniors and people with disabilities. And even if people are able to hold on to their coverage, they might not be able to afford even basic medical treatment due to a plan to impose co-pays. Hospital closures and job losses are also likely, resulting in significant economic declines in communities, especially in rural areas. 

This all comes at a time when the majority of Michigan voters across political views and party affiliations have stated loud and clear that they do not want cuts to Medicaid. In fact, new statewide polling shows 83% of Michiganders want to see Medicaid spending increased or kept about the same. 

The proposed cuts to SNAP are also incredibly alarming, threatening the nutrition of more than 300,000 Michiganders who could see their food assistance benefits reduced or taken away entirely under the House Republicans’ plan to expand work requirements to older adults and parents of school-aged kids. Taking away benefits from parents won’t just harm them. It will harm their kids, too, resulting in poor health and educational outcomes for our state’s youngest residents. 

It’s important to note that most SNAP participants who can work, do. In fact, 3 in 4 SNAP households in Michigan have at least one adult working. And for those who don’t have jobs, taking food away will do nothing to help them find work more quickly. Work requirements will mainly just punish the many SNAP participants who are already working, burdening them with red tape and time-consuming documentation.

What’s worse is that, even with the dismantling of federal funding for food assistance and health care, the GOP’s current plan would still increase the national deficit by $3.8 trillion over the next decade. And don’t be fooled by any purported “tax cuts for working families,” such as removing the tax on tips and overtime and increasing the Child Tax Credit (CTC). These tax cuts are only temporary, set to expire at the end of 2028, and will be entirely nullified by any enacted tariffs for low-income families. Tax cuts for upper-income households, on the other hand, will remain permanent. It’s also crucial to reiterate that the proposed expansion of the CTC still leaves behind 20 million children nationwide, who won’t get the full credit because their families earn too little. 

It’s time for our state leaders in Washington, D.C. to remember who elected them and who they are supposed to be representing. The reckless budget bills passed last week are being combined into a single bill and are expected to be voted on this week, so time is of the essence when it comes to letting your voice be heard. It’s time to speak up and tell your Congressional lawmakers how important programs like Medicaid and SNAP are in your communities. It’s also important to voice your concerns over the wealth inequalities in our country that will most certainly be made worse by the current GOP budget proposals. You can call 866-426-2631 to be connected directly to your member of Congress via ZIP code.