In response to House Republicans releasing the text to their disastrous budget bill ahead of this week’s markups, DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement:

“In the dark of night, Republicans released new parts of their extreme budget bill that will abandon working families, seniors, kids, and people with disabilities in order to finance a tax handout for the rich. Let me be clear: there is nothing moderate about leaving millions of Americans uninsured. There is nothing moderate about leaving nursing homes and rural hospitals with no other options but to close their doors. There is nothing moderate about targeting care for pregnant women and new moms. 

“House Republicans are gearing up to end Medicaid as we know it and gut critical food assistance programs that kids and families need to put food on the table — all to help Donald Trump give tax handouts to billionaires. Punishing hungry kids and seniors struggling to get health care isn’t ‘America first’ — it’s billionaires first, working families last. It’s past time Republicans grow a backbone and stand up against Trump’s dangerous agenda, or they’ll face the consequences in the midterms.” 

Last night, House Republicans released new parts of the budget bill they’ll mark up this week, which includes devastating cuts to Medicaid. Heading into this week’s markups, they’re also preparing to gut food assistance. 

New York Times: “House Republicans released a plan late on Sunday that would cause millions of poor Americans to lose Medicaid health coverage and millions more to pay higher fees when they go to the doctor …

“Overall, the legislation would reduce federal spending by an estimated $912 billion over the decade and cause 8.6 million people to become uninsured, according to a partial analysis from the Congressional Budget Office that was circulated by Democrats on the committee. Most of those cuts —$715 billion — would come from changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. …

“It also adds a work requirement to Medicaid for poor, childless adults, mandating that they prove they are working 80 hours every month to stay enrolled. That is a less flexible version of a work requirement briefly imposed in Arkansas in 2018 that caused 18,000 people to rapidly lose coverage.” 

Politico: “Republicans will turbocharge the fight over the nation’s largest anti-hunger program when House Agriculture releases its megabill proposal Monday. Ahead of a markup beginning Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., the text will put details behind a slew of proposals Republicans are pushing as they look to cut $230 billion in federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”  

Axios: “The draft legislation would extend the cuts in the 2017 tax bill, and it adds on some more breaks.

“Some will benefit the wealthiest, including a permanent increase to the deduction for pass-through income to 22% from 20%, plus a hike for the estate tax exemption, which would shield more inheritances from taxes.” 

Gutting Medicaid and slashing food assistance will hurt tens of millions of Americans’ and rip away critical resources from our seniors, children, and rural communities. 

KFF: “Medicaid … serves about 79 million mostly low-income or disabled Americans.” 

Center for Budget Policies and Priorities: “Millions of Low-Income Households Would Lose Food Aid Under Proposed House Republican SNAP Cuts”

“Regardless of how Republican lawmakers enact a cut of this magnitude, this would slash more than 20 percent from a program that helps more than 40 million people, including 1 in 5 children, afford groceries.”

West Virginia Watch: “Medicaid cuts could hurt older adults who rely on home care, nursing homes” 

New York Times: “Medicaid Cuts May Force Retirees Out of Nursing Homes”

ProPublica: “The Trump Administration Cracked Down on Medicaid. Kids Lost Insurance.”

Georgetown University Center for Children and Families: “Cuts to Medicaid Will Shift Costs to Families, Providers and Will Be Especially Harmful to Rural Communities”