1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I urge you to consider the human rights and inherent dignity of all immigrants and avoid all changes to the Medicaid and SNAP programs that shift costs to states or limit participation as you draft the budget reconciliation bill. The proposals to reduce Medicaid matching rates, cap Medicaid funding, and limit state directed payments could push states to either cut funding for other programs, or cut Medicaid eligibility, benefits, and/or provider payments. This threatens payment rates for health care institutions, nursing homes, and physicians, create higher uncompensated care costs, risk an end to expanded supplemental payment programs, and accelerate the pace of hospital closures. Changes to the SNAP program, such as rolling back the 2021 update to the Thrifty Food Plan, expanding work requirements, and shifting benefits costs to states will only decrease enrollment and increase hunger, leading to even longer lines at food pantries and soup kitchens. Rolling back the 2021 update would slash SNAP benefits, with each SNAP participant losing an average of $1.40 per day initially, cutting the daily average benefit to only $5.00 per person. Red tape and a lack of assistance in claiming exemptions make it very hard for large numbers of participants to comply. It is also unrealistic to assume that if the federal costs of SNAP were shifted to states, the programs would survive. In a state-federal matching program, federal funding is based on the amount of funding the state spends. If states cannot pay the full amount of a required match, they will need to cut the food assistance across their state. As a result, it is religious communities doing charity work across the country that shoulder a greater burden. Providing exorbitant immigration and border enforcement funding, all while debilitating critical programs such as Medicaid and SNAP to pay for this funding, demonstrates a concerning shift in federal government priorities away from supporting the basic needs of Americans. Please consider my concerns as you continue to work on the budget reconciliation bill.