The U.S. Senate Finance Committee recently released their budget reconciliation bill proposal, integrating edits to the House version known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.” The Senate’s proposed policy changes would be even more harmful than those passed in the original House version, including further cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. These cuts put more than 16 million Americans at risk of losing healthcare coverage and would devastate critical health care infrastructure across the country.
SNAP and Medicaid are crucial services for people across Washington. In 2024, 1 in 9 Washingtonians received support from SNAP. Cutting funding for this essential program would make life harder for families already struggling to make ends meet. In addition, the bill redefines dependents as children under 10, complicating access to nutritious food for children aged 11-18 whose families receive SNAP benefits.
Medicaid funding further bolsters the health and wellbeing of our state’s residents. In 2023, Washington received $12.5 billion in federal funding for Medicaid. Without this funding, our state’s healthcare system would be gutted. Hospitals across Washington would be forced to close, limiting access to critical care for millions of Washingtonians. At particular risk are already vulnerable populations: 47% of children in Washington are covered by Medicaid, and this number skyrockets in rural areas.
Write to your federal lawmakers urging them to vote against this disastrous bill and protect the services that Washingtonians rely on: