Senate Passes Budget Resolution to Extend Tax Cuts, Cut Funding for Medicaid and SNAP

Republican Senators passed a budget resolution in the early morning hours of April 4 by a vote of 51-48, with all Senate Democrats and two Republicans – Senators Susan Collins (ME) and Rand Paul (KY) – voting against. The resolution will now move on for consideration in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) aims to pass it through the chamber before Congress adjourns for its spring recess on April 11.  

The budget resolution provides the blueprint of what will be a massive bill Republicans hope to move through Congress using a process called “reconciliation.” Reconciliation is a special procedure that allows a bill to pass the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes – rather than the 60 usually required – in exchange for limitations on what can be included in the bill. Because Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House, they can use reconciliation to pass a bill without any bipartisan support or input. Both the House and Senate have already released and passed their own budget resolutions; the latest resolution is a step toward reconciling the differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions. Both chambers must adopt the same budget resolution before they can draft the text of the bill.  

The resolution passed by the Senate on April 4 would permanently extend tax cuts included in the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017,” which is estimated to cost over $5 trillion over the next ten years. The bill would also mandate at least $4 billion in spending cuts, with some Senators noting they intend to cut as much as $2 trillion. In the House, conservative Republicans have vowed to vote against the Senate-passed resolution, expressing disappointment that the blueprint would provide larger tax cuts and smaller spending cuts than the House-passed resolution and calling for steeper cuts to mandatory programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  

While housing assistance has not been named as a potential target for cuts, the anti-poverty programs being considered play a crucial role in economic stability for people and families with low incomes, helping them put food on the table and receive needed 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 left over at the end of the month to ensure rent is paid. States can also use Medicaid to cover health-related social needs, including housing.  

The threats to Medicaid, which serves over 7.2 million low-income people around the country, and SNAP, which serves over 42 million, have triggered widespread outcry from advocates around the country. Public opposition to the proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP is pressuring moderate and swing-district Republicans to express concerns about the bill to leadership; as negotiations continue, it will be crucial for advocates – especially those in Republican districts and states – to keep up the pressure on their members of Congress to vote against any reconciliation bill that would cut vital safety net programs.  

The National Alliance to End Homelessness launched a Take Action page for advocates to quickly and easily contact their elected officials and urge them not to support cuts to Medicaid. Take action here: tinyurl.com/3c2ntnnw. 

Learn more about how you can advocate for continued SNAP funding at the Food, Research, and Action Center’s (FRAC) website: tinyurl.com/2mzr5pb3.