ST. PAUL, Minn. — On May 22, US House Republicans passed a funding package that would cut crucial social safety nets like SNAP and Medicaid and force participants through bureaucratic mazes to maintain access to the resources that help them access healthcare and food. Every House Republican from the Minnesota delegation voted for this unconscionable bill.
As the implications of this bill ripple through state legislatures, Senate Housing Chair Senator Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville), House Co-Chair Representative Michael Howard (DFL-Richfield), Senate Vice Chair Senator Liz Boldon (DFL-Rochester) and House Co-Vice Chair Representative Liish Kozlowski (DFL-Duluth) are sounding the alarm on what this national budget would mean for Minnesotans, who already face a housing affordability and availability crisis.
“We call programs like SNAP and Medicaid our social safety nets because when they are cut, people are put in danger,” the legislators said. “The Republican Congressional funding bill that passed the US House last week includes indefensible cuts to SNAP and Medicaid as part of the GOP’s mission to give tax cuts to billionaires and corporations. The resources SNAP and Medicaid provide are often the only reason people can pay their rent, access healthcare or have enough food to eat. Without them, people across the US will lose their homes; families and children will go hungry; and more people will go into medical debt or avoid necessary medical care. The US Senate must not pass this bill."
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