On May 22, the House of Representatives passed a budget reconciliation bill that makes billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) to pay for tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires.  This dangerous bill passed by a single vote – every Republican except Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) voted for it, and every Democrat voted against it.  (Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) voted present.)

The bill’s fate is now up to the Senate. Changes are likely – some Republican senators have already called for even deeper cuts. If it doesn’t pass, a different Senate version would have to go back to the House for another vote.

 

We need to deliver a simple message to the Senate:  No cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and SNAP to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.  It’s especially important to tell Republican House members we won’t support elected officials who vote to sacrifice seniors’ well-being in order to give more tax breaks to the wealthy.

            You can reach your members of Congress by calling 202 224-3121.

What the House Republican bill would do

Here are just a few of the dangers this bill poses to seniors and their families.

●       Cuts Medicaid health and long-term care services.  The House Republican bill would cut Medicaid by $700 billion.  Medicaid is the largest source of long-term care services – covering home care and nursing home care. 12 million low-income seniors and people with disabilities rely on Medicaid to pay their Medicare cost-sharing.  The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says Medicaid cuts would strip health care from 8 million people and force states to cut Medicaid services.

●       Bans safe staffing standards for nursing homes.  The House Republican bill would block actions to prevent dangerous understaffing that results in preventable falls, injuries and deaths.  Nursing homes wouldn’t have to meet minimum federal safety standards – including having a registered nurse available 24/7 – for another 10 years.

●       Imposes red tape burdens that will take coverage away from older adults.  The House Republican bill mandates 80 hours a month of work requirements and adds new reporting burdens that will bury people in red tape.  When states have imposed similar requirements, thousands of people lost coverage not because they weren’t working but because they couldn’t meet the paperwork burdens. 

●       Requires a $500 billion cut in Medicare, that will cut payments to doctors and hospitals and make it harder to get care.

●       Cuts critical food assistance.  The House Republican bill would cut SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps) by $300 billion, meaning that millions of people – including nearly 5 million adults over age 60 – could lose access to food.  

●       Rewards the very rich at the expense of the rest of us.  Under the House Republican bill, millionaires would get a $81,000 tax cut. To pay for those tax cuts, Medicaid and SNAP would undergo the biggest cuts in history.

Act Now

Call your senators today to demand they vote NO.  Tell them that providing food, health care and quality long-term care is more important than giving more tax breaks to billionaires.  And tell your representatives that we know how they voted – and we will remember. 

Call 202 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your senators and representative.

This analysis was provided by the Democratic National Committee's Seniors Council.