Statement of Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 22, 2025 – “Today, the House of Representatives voted to advance a budget reconciliation package that would undermine the health and economic security of tens of millions of people who rely on essential programs like Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Child Tax Credit, all to fund tax breaks for the wealthy.
“Republicans in Congress devised and passed their bill under the cover of darkness undoubtedly hoping to avoid any spotlight as they pay for tax cuts by gutting the health care and services and supports people need for themselves and their loved ones.
“President Donald Trump and his House allies have desperately and deceptively sought to justify these actions by claiming they are strengthening Medicaid. Yet their rhetoric fools no one, least of all the people whom they are supposed to be representing and protecting. People turn to Medicaid for affordable health coverage during periods of need. They are looking for a safety net, not an attack on their character. Many Medicaid recipients already hold down jobs, while many others are older women who left the workforce to stay home and care for family. The unprecedented cuts to Medicaid contained in this package are not initiatives to eliminate waste, fraud or abuse. Instead, they would create miles of red tape designed to facilitate the termination of care for nearly 8 million women and families.
“The bill proposes to mandate federal work requirements for Medicaid recipients, require more frequent eligibility checks, limit retroactive coverage and impose cost-sharing,‘defund’ Planned Parenthood and ban federal funding for gender-affirming care for both youth and adults, among other harmful cuts to Medicaid. It attacks immigrant families in order to pay for lawless immigration enforcement.
“Furthermore, the bill’s efforts to upend the Affordable Care Act by making it harder to enroll and afford health coverage would effectively terminate care for an additional 8 million women and families. And it bans ACA marketplace plans from covering abortion care, further eroding access to critical reproductive health care.
“The bill disrupts access to food for millions of low-income families, children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, rural communities and people of color by imposing cruel cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Nearly one in five children depend on SNAP for their daily nutrition, and SNAP improves overall health outcomes, bolsters local economies and helps close the wealth gap. Cutting the ability of more than 40 million people to put food on their table – to finance tax breaks for the wealthy – is unconscionable.
“Finally, the bill’s inclusion of a provision that would make the 45S paid leave tax credit permanent is yet another giveaway to corporations. Since this tax credit was first enacted in 2017, it has done nothing to put paid leave within reach for the more than 100 million people who lack it, and has not led to the widespread changes in business practices and policies that it promised. In fact, as part of the negotiations for this bill, every Republican on the Ways & Means Committee voted against an attempt by Representative Jimmy Gomez to amend the tax credit to make it work better for small businesses and workers. Their actions made crystal clear their indifference to meaningfully expanding access to paid leave and reinforces their overarching interest in giving handouts to the wealthy.
“This legislation – championed by President Trump – would strip health care and economic security from millions of people, including mothers and children, seniors and veterans. Despite attempts by Republicans in Congress to shroud their actions in secrecy, the National Partnership will continue to call out the damaging and shameless impacts of their actions and fight relentlessly to prevent its passage.”
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