A strong social safety net is a core tenet of a country that cares for its children and families. Benefit programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) help families to afford basic necessities like health care and nutritious food. These assistance programs are more important than ever as families face rising costs and economic instability. Ignoring this fact, Congress is working to push through massive spending cuts for public benefit programs like Medicaid and SNAP in order to offset the cost of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

These proposed cuts would be devastating for New York. Over 500,000 New Yorkers in households with children would lose at least some of their SNAP benefits. According to an analysis by the Fiscal Policy Institute, millions of New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid and the Essential Plan would lose health care coverage. Substantial federal funding losses will also impact current and future state budgets, threatening recent state-level policy wins and limiting future progress for children and families.

Our partners at Medicaid Matters NY and Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York have developed excellent tools that allow New Yorkers to explore the impact of Medicaid and SNAP cuts on their local communities and to share their concerns with their elected representatives. As Congress moves towards a vote on substantial cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, now is the time to make your voice heard.

Please follow the steps below to send a message to your Representative:

1. Click here to visit CCC’s website
2. Enter your full address to find data for your Congressional District
3. Explore how budget cuts will impact your neighbors who rely on Medicaid and SNAP
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the red button to send the data to your Representative (sometimes the page takes a moment to redirect – you only need to click once)
5. Fill out your contact information for the action alert
6. If you would like to, you can add your own story to the “Personalize your message” section
7. Click the red “submit” button at the bottom of the page
8. Share this resource with your networks

To learn more about the federal budget reconciliation process, please visit The Basics of Budget Reconciliation — Progressive Caucus Center

To learn what ideas Rochester parents have to improve public benefit programs, please visit Unlocking Access – The Children’s Agenda

To learn more about The Children’s Agenda’s child health advocacy, please visit Health – The Children’s Agenda

Shannon Mullin is Senior Policy Analyst with The Children’s Agenda