The House Budget Committee approved on February 13 a framework for a massive reconciliation bill. The bill, unveiled the previous day and approved along a party-line vote (21-16), would slash federal spending on social programs to pay for an extension of tax provisions primarily benefiting higher-income households and corporations and providing support for additional military and border defense.
The bill is being considered under a process called “reconciliation,” which allows for the faster consideration of a bill by limiting the types of provisions that can be included, limiting debate time on the bill, and allowing a bill to pass the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes rather than the 60 usually required. Because Republicans control the House of Representatives, Senate, and White House, reconciliation would allow Republicans to enact a bill without any Democratic support.
While the bill text has yet to be drafted, the framework approved by the House Budget Committee would provide an additional $4 trillion in spending, including the tax cut extensions and additional funding for the military and border. The bill would also pursue at least $2 trillion in cuts to funding for social and domestic programs, including rescinding clean energy initiatives, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; previously known as food stamps), and Medicaid. The Senate Budget Committee is pursuing their own “skinny” budget reconciliation package that would carry an additional $342 billion in funding for the military and border and will likely seek at least $4 billion in spending cuts, including rolling back some of the clean energy initiatives created under the “Inflation Reduction Act” and potential cuts to SNAP and Medicaid.
While housing assistance has not been named as a potential target for cuts, the anti-poverty programs being considered to undergo fundings cuts play a crucial role in economic stability for people and families with low incomes, helping them put food on the table and access medical care. The financial assistance these programs provide also promotes housing stability: by helping families afford the cost of food and other necessities, more money is available at the end of the month to ensure rent is paid. States can also use Medicaid to cover health-related social needs including housing, so a loss of this funding could have important implications for affordable housing access.
NLIHC is continuing to monitor the reconciliation package and will work with our allies to defend these vital anti-poverty programs.