Congressional Extremists: Billionaire Bonanza at the Expense of the Vulnerable

WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released a scathing statement after House committees unveiled their portions of the reconciliation bill. The language is clear: Congressional extremists are charging ahead with a plan to shower billionaires with massive tax breaks at the expense of our communities. Their scheme to further enrich the ultra-rich would substantially gut Medicaid and is expected to rip health care away from more than 13 million individuals, especially low-income workers, seniors, and people with disabilities. Instead of making Medicaid more efficient, they plan to add bureaucracy by imposing strict work reporting requirements that will just make it harder for those most vulnerable to access the care they need.

THIS IS A DISASTER! The Medicaid cuts are only the beginning as anti-worker elected officials also plan cuts to food assistance. AFSCME members are watching what happens this week, and we are mobilizing. We’ll be in the halls of Congress and holding events in communities across the country to sound the alarm on how damaging these cuts will be. We won’t stand by while families are robbed of lifesaving public services just to line the pockets of billionaires.

DO THIS NOW! Call your representatives and demand they reject these draconian proposals. Tell them to recommit to ending hunger in America and safeguard the health and well-being of individuals, families, and our communities. This is a no-brainer! We need to protect our most vulnerable citizens, not enrich the already wealthy.

STAY AWAY FROM THESE CUTS! The proposed cuts to SNAP and school meals would increase food insecurity and shift the burden to local governments and charities, who cannot fill the gap. It would also harm local economies, particularly in rural and under-resourced areas. Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates up to $1.80 in economic activity during an economic downturn. In areas where food retailers are already struggling, any reduction in SNAP benefits would have a severe impact on businesses and farmers, leading to job losses and reduced revenue in grocery stores and agricultural sectors.

THIS IS A BAD IDEA! The proposed cuts to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) would dramatically reduce the number of high-need schools able to offer free meals to all of their students and decrease school meal operation efficiency and effectiveness. The proposal would make more than 24,000 schools, serving more than 12 million children, no longer eligible to participate in CEP. This would increase child hunger in the classroom, bring stigma back into the cafeteria, lead to school meal debt, and make it more difficult for working families to make ends meet.

BOO-YAH! We need to stand up and fight against these cuts. We need to protect our most vulnerable citizens, not enrich the already wealthy. We need to protect our communities, not destroy them. We need to protect our economy, not harm it. We need to protect our future, not destroy it. We need to protect our country, not destroy it. We need to protect our democracy, not destroy it. We need to protect our values, not destroy them. We need to protect our humanity, not destroy it. We need to protect our planet, not destroy it. We need to protect our future, not destroy it. We need to protect our children, not destroy them. We need to protect our families, not destroy them. We need to protect our communities, not destroy them. We need to protect our country, not destroy it. We need to protect our democracy, not destroy it. We need to protect our values, not destroy them. We need to protect our humanity, not destroy it. We need to protect our planet, not destroy it. 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