FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2025
CONTACT:
Laura Millard Ross
lauramr@mlpp.org
517-281-1084
League blasts new bills passed out of U.S. Congressional Committees
The three bills would do irreparable damage to Michigan families and local economies
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan League for Public Policy is sounding the alarm on three bills that advanced yesterday. Congressional House Republicans set the stage for the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in the history of those programs, threatening the health and economic security of Michiganders.
The budget bills passed by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, and the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means include:
- At least $625 billion in cuts to Medicaid through work requirements for people who receive coverage through the Medicaid expansion, various other red tape requirements that will reduce coverage and restrictions on how Michigan raises money to pay for Medicaid, among other changes.
- Roughly $300 billion in cuts to SNAP through harsh work requirements for older adults and parents of school-aged children, as well as a requirement that states, for the first time in the 50-year history of the program, pay for a share of food benefits. Michigan would need to come up with over $760 million each year. To put that into perspective, that is about 80% of the entire annual budget for the Michigan State Police.
- A tax plan that would increase deficits by $3.8 trillion over 10 years, providing an average tax cut of $65,000 for people with incomes in the top 1%, while doing little for low- and moderate-income families.
The following statement can be attributed to Monique Stanton, President and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy:
“We’re gravely concerned that House Republicans have put aside the needs of their constituents and of their states’ economies by passing these harmful bills out of committees yesterday. To put life-saving programs like Medicaid and SNAP on the chopping block in order to create tax cuts that mainly benefit the wealthy is egregious.
“All this is coming on top of a slew of executive orders designed to intimidate and threaten large swaths of the country, and sweeping, senseless cuts to federal jobs, public education, nonprofit services, crucial research projects and more. We are calling for lawmakers to put their constituents—and their country—first and put a stop to this reckless behavior.
“Michigan’s economy grows when families can afford the basics and incomes are strong. This does the exact opposite—gutting food and health care assistance and leaving people who are already hungry or sick to fall even further behind as prices and tariffs climb.
“More than 2.6 million Michiganders—1 in 4 people in our state—depend on Medicaid for essential care.
“But under this plan, 740,000 Michiganders who gained coverage through the Healthy Michigan Plan might lose it again if House Republicans enact work requirements. Those requirements would create more red tape, which could take away coverage from children, seniors and people with disabilities. Even if people keep their coverage, they might not be able to afford even basic medical treatment due to a plan to impose co-pays. We could also see hospital closures and job losses, resulting in economic losses in communities, especially rural areas.
“And cuts to SNAP threaten the nutrition of over 300,000 Michiganders who could see their food assistance benefits cut 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 harms kids, too. Kids won’t get enough to eat, and their health and school performance will suffer.
“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. Instead, it punishes many who are working, burdening them with red tape and time-consuming documentation.
“Everything that we know is critical to Michigan’s growth — bringing down maternal mortality rates, making sure older folks can afford their prescriptions, making sure kids and families have the nutrition they need — that’s all at stake now.
“And for what? To make sure more wealthy people get a tax cut.
“Pushing through $1.5 trillion in cuts to basic needs programs to pay for tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy is short-sighted and shows that these lawmakers aren’t thinking about the people they serve. In Michigan, rural and northern counties have a higher percentage of folks who rely on Medicaid and SNAP and a higher percentage of folks living in poverty than most other counties. People living in these areas already have more limited access to the things they need, and taking food off their tables and health care away from their kids is not the answer.
“And guess what? The cuts won’t help with the deficit. Even with the dismantling of federal funding for food assistance and health care, the current plan would still increase deficits by $3.8 trillion over 10 years.
“Plus, working families with lower wages will see next to nothing from the tax cut provisions. The proposed expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) leaves out up to 20 million children in working families nationwide. They won’t get the full credit because their families’ incomes are too low. And millions of people will see tax increases if tariffs are enacted. The tariffs would likely erase a large portion of forthcoming tax cuts for low-income households, those making less than roughly $13,840.
It’s important to note that many of these purported ‘tax cuts for working families,’ including removing the tax on tips and overtime, and the increase in the CTC are only temporary, all set to expire at the end of 2028. But many of the tax cuts for upper-income households will remain permanent, keeping the money flowing to those who already have more.
It’s time for our leaders to remember who they’re working for.”
# # #
The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on opportunity for all. Its mission is to use data to educate, advocate and fight for policy solutions that undo historic and systemic racial and economic inequities to lift up Michiganders who have been left out of prosperity. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
