Virginia Residents Respond to House Republicans' Plans for Massive Cuts to SNAP, Medicaid to Fund Tax Breaks for Wealthy
Working Virginians Will Bear the Brunt of These Massive Cuts To Essential Programs Such as Medicaid and SNAP
Virginia Beach, VA – As House committee markups are wrapping up, House Republicans are still planning to make cuts to vital programs working Virginians rely on, such as Medicaid and SNAP, in order to deliver massive tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations.
“These cuts are personal to me; my brother and I had access to preschool because of programs like Head Start. People I love are able to eat because of SNAP – these are programs that benefit the most vulnerable,” said Natasha Baird, Suffolk resident. “I’m not sure how cutting these programs actually helps anyone – our government is supposed to protect its citizens and provide public services. This is the most basic, but also the most important, function of our government. This administration is so focused on making cuts to support their tax cuts for the wealthy that they seem to have forgotten that so many military families, like the one I grew up in, rely on these services. Our citizens give so much already, and now we’re being asked to go without necessary support so that billionaires can get a tax break? They don’t need any breaks that come at the expense of literally taking food out of children’s mouths.”
“It’s disappointing to know that Republicans in Congress are lying to their constituents, including Representative Jen Kiggans,” said Emily Yeatts, Affordable Virginia Campaigns Director. “She has stated her support for Medicaid, in theory, but continues to put party over people. Medicaid and SNAP recipients are already working, adding additional work requirements just creates more bureaucracy – the thing Republicans claim to be cutting to make the government more efficient – but we know efficiency isn’t their goal, making life harder for working families is. With these new impediments, families will lose access to care, and billionaires will still get their tax cuts. Representative Kiggans needs to protect our kids, protect SNAP, protect Medicaid, and oppose the Trump Tax Scam.”