On July 1, Senate Republicans passed a reconciliation bill that will worsen hunger and strip health care coverage from millions of families to partially offset trillions in tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and corporations. The bill now returns to the House for final consideration of the legislation. Both the Senate and House versions of the bill include the largest cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history. In response, Maryland Center on Economic Policy President and CEO Benjamin Orr issued the following statement:
“Today, the Senate voted to take health care and food assistance away from millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Marylanders, to offset massive new tax giveaways to billionaires, millionaires, and corporations.
While the House and Senate bills differ in some details, at the end of the day they would produce the same results: Parents having to choose between feeding their kids or paying the rent. People losing their livelihoods because they can’t get the health care they need. Refugees losing support that could help them build a life here.
In addition to those who would directly lose much-needed economic supports, this legislation would harm all Marylanders. It would drive up the cost of health care for everyone and make it harder for hospitals and nursing homes to stay in business, particularly in rural parts of the state that already lack sufficient medical services. It would also make it harder for the state to invest in education, transportation, and other priorities due to the massive cost shifts for these programs.
As Marylanders, we care for each other. This legislation does not reflect the things our communities value and need, and we applaud Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks for standing with their constituents and opposing this bill. As the legislative process moves on, we urge our entire delegation to continue to stand up for Marylanders, reject this this reckless plan, and urge their colleagues to do the same.”
Additional Information About the Reconciliation Bill
Key details include:
- Nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces over ten years, resulting in about 15 million people losing health care coverage. An estimated 143,000 could lose coverage in Maryland from just one of the major provisions of the bill.
- Nearly $300 billion in cuts to SNAP, which would take away or cut food assistance for millions of people including 2 million or more children. In Maryland, an estimated 71,000 people could lose food assistance while $75 million to $373 million in costs for providing food assistance could shift to the state.
- Large tax cuts for high-income families while doing little — or worse — for low- and moderate-income families. In 2027, the tax cuts as a share of income are 10 times larger for households making over $1 million than households in the bottom 20 percent. In later years, the proposal actually raises taxes on households in the bottom 20 percent.