| Trump’s budget shreds the safety net for low income people and gives historic tax breaks to the wealthiest:
Staggering. Devastating. Unprecedented. Drastic. Draconian. This is how President Trump’s budget is being described. There is much to keep learning about President Trump’s budget released last week, but the overwhelming consensus by policy analysts, journalists, and advocates is clear: Trump’s budget gives the wealthy the biggest tax break – more than $5 trillion – in modern times, while plunging millions of Americans in deeper poverty, hunger, homelessness and economic insecurity with massive cuts to the safety net. This budget also goes back on President Trump’s promises not to cut Medicaid or Social Security. It’s a “Robin Hood in reverse” budget that Congress must reject. Impacts of President Trump’s Budget: Programs and policies that are proven to help people who are struggling and that lift people out of poverty would be drastically changed in President Trump’s budget, along with $2.5 trillion in funding cuts over the next 10 years – from food assistance to disability benefits, housing vouchers, Habitat for Humanity, community action agencies, LIHEAP, Meals on Wheels, and much more. For example, nationwide: – $193 billion in cuts to SNAP – $616 billion in cuts to Medicaid – on top of $800 billion that would be cut if the Republicans’ health care bill becomes law; – $21 billion cut from TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) – $40 billion cut from the EITC and the Child Tax Credit. Shredding these programs, which, along with SNAP and the child nutrition programs, serve as the primary components of our nation’s safety net, will have a devastating domino effect on the food security, health, learning, and productivity of Americans in rural, suburban, and urban areas alike. Most Americans are just one accident, one illness, or one personal tragedy away from financial disaster, so we need the federal government to be able to respond in difficult times. In Washington, the president’s federal budget would require state lawmakers to find billions of dollars over the next decade to make up for these proposed cuts – despite our legislature already not being able to restore the nearly $10 billion in state funding cuts since the recession. Impact on Washington State: According to analysis by our colleagues at the Budget & Policy Center, impacts in Washington State alone would include: – Medicaid funding cut by 20% over 10 years, which would cost our state approximately $5 billion in federal funds per biennium by 2027 (not including cuts if the new Republican health care bill becomes law). – SNAP (food stamps) cut by 25% over 10 years, costing our state up to $1 billion per biennium by 2027. – Eliminate another $1.9 billion in other federal funds to our state over 10 years that provide basic supports to low-income families, prevent homelessness, and help people meet basic needs and train for better jobs. Changes to SNAP (food stamps): The budget not only cuts funding, but it would fundamentally change how some programs work. For example, the budget would shift costs for SNAP to the states: states would be required to pay 10% to 25% (by 2023) of the cost of monthly food stamp benefits – an unprecedented shift of responsibility away from the federal government that now ensures all Americans, no matter where they live, are able to get the same food assistance as every other person who needs help. With this new responsibility, states would be allowed to implement draconian budget-cutting measures like eliminate the minimum benefit (currently $16/month), cut and cap benefits (current average benefit is $4/day), raise eligibility standards, or stop implementation of program efficiencies. These changes also would mean that SNAP wouldn’t be able to respond in times of disaster or recession because states don’t have the ability to respond quickly the way the federal government can. Read more about how SNAP would change from the Center on Budget and Policy Priories. |
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| TAKE ACTION:
Call your Congress member at 202-225-3121 (Capitol switchboard) to urge them to speak out against the cuts to SNAP and other low-income safety net programs. Ask (Heck, Herrera Beutler, McMorris Rodgers, Newhouse, Reichert, Smith) or thank (DelBene, Jayapal, Kilmer, Larsen) your Representative to co-sponsor Closing the Meal Gap Act (HR 1276) which increases food stamp benefits and protects many unemployed adults from losing SNAP benefits. Sign on to Washington community letter opposing President Trump’s budget (closing date: June 12). Developed in collaboration with a broad spectrum of national and state partners representing anti-hunger, anti-poverty, human services, health care, faith, labor, environment, education and more, this letter is specifically targeted for Washington’s Congress members to be delivered in mid-June just before the House releases its budget proposal. Share this video on the impact of the proposed SNAP cuts from Food Research and Action Center (FRAC): Tweet and post to Facebook about the budget and the importance of anti-poverty and SNAP. See below for SNAP info graphics, sample messages and tweets: 7 Actions to Protect SNAP Benefits for Jobless People infographic Sample Tweets and Facebook posts: Twitter: #SNAP lifts millions of Americans out of poverty, improves nutrition & health, boosts the economy: http://bit.ly/2qM9nIt #TrumpBudget #SaveTheSafetyNet The proposed #TrumpBudget will create untold suffering for millions of struggling people #SaveTheSafetyNet http://bit.ly/2q88wD9 SNAP is one of the nation’s very best investments. #TrumpBudget #SaveTheSafetyNet http://bit.ly/2q88wD9 $193B in cuts to #SNAP over the next 10 yrs = increased hunger, poverty, & ill health: http://bit.ly/2qM9nIt #TrumpBudget – with SNAP infographic Congress must reject any #TrumpBudget proposal that leaves Americans struggling against hunger. #SaveTheSafetyNet http://bit.ly/2q88wD9 @[MemberOfCongress]: Protect low-income Americans from hunger! Say no to #SNAPcuts in the #TrumpBudget http://bit.ly/2q88wD9 Facebook: The president’s proposed budget shreds the safety net — hurting millions of low-income Americans. Congress must reject these cuts: http://bit.ly/2q88wD9 $193 Billion. The president’s proposed cuts to SNAP are a direct attack on millions of Americans struggling against hunger: http://bit.ly/2q88wD9 Washington Congress Members on Twitter: @RepDelBene @RepDennyHeck @HerreraBeutler @PramilaJayapal @RepDerekKilmer @larsenrick @cathymcmorris @RepNewhouse @davereichert @RepAdamSmith @PattyMurray @SenatorCantwell
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