May 19, 2025 Advocacy Alert

Snapshot
(A 30-second read for busy people)

• Last night, the House Budget Committee advanced more than $700 billion in Medicaid cuts and $300 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
• The proposed cuts would be devastating, likely resulting in more than 10 million people losing Medicaid coverage and more than seven million people ultimately going uninsured, putting older adults and people with disabilities at risk of losing coverage for critical HCBS.
• Action Needed: Call and email your Senators and Representatives TODAY! Use our template letter and sample social media posts (see below), and urge Congress to push back against these misguided and harmful cuts in the reconciliation bill.

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Last week, House committees advanced major proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed Medicaid cuts in a 26-hour markup of their piece of the massive Republican reconciliation bill.
 
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the proposed $715 billion in cuts would likely result in 10.3 million people losing Medicaid coverage and 7.6 million ultimately going uninsured. In addition to the proposed cuts, to be eligible for Medicaid, House Republicans are proposing new requirements of at least 80 hours per month of work, education or service for able-bodied adults without dependents. Medicaid recipients would also have to verify their eligibility twice a year instead of just once, presenting even more barriers for coverage.
 
Additionally, the House Committee on Agriculture advanced $300 billion in cuts to SNAP that, according to the CBO, could force millions of people off the program. To learn more about the proposed Medicaid and SNAP cuts, please consult our Legislative Update from last week.
 
Late Sunday evening, the House Budget Committee advanced the measure 17–16, after winning over five Republicans who blocked the bill on Friday, citing the bill’s contribution to the long-term debt. Four of those holdouts ultimately voted “present” to allow the bill to move to the House floor this week.
 
The future of the full reconciliation bill remains uncertain, with strong opposition from House Democrats and a razor-thin House Republican majority. Republican Senators are also aiming to change the bill, and potentially the Medicaid provisions within it, if it passes out of the House. Clashes between House Republican moderates and “fiscal hawks,” who want even more spending cuts, could also doom the bill on the House floor. With a slim majority in play, House Republicans can only afford to lose three votes.
 
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) is aiming for a vote on the bill as early as this week, but this could be delayed until July if he can’t mediate Republican infighting. If the House passes the bill, the Senate would be poised to hold its own markups through its respective committees in the summer.
 
With a House floor vote potentially happening this week on the reconciliation bill, it’s more important than ever for YOU to educate members of Congress on the detrimental impacts Medicaid and SNAP cuts would have on the populations you serve. They need to know how these cuts could negatively impact older adults and people with disabilities without the supports and services they need to remain living in the community.
 
We need you to take action now to prevent cuts to Medicaid HCBS and SNAP! Read on to get started!
 
Take Action Now!

STEP 1: Email and call your Senators and Representatives and urge them to oppose any cuts to Medicaid and SNAP! Use our customizable template to get started. Contact their DC and district offices; email addresses and phone numbers can be found on the House Directory and Senate Directory.
 
There is no such thing as too much communication with Members of Congress—keep reaching out until we get the protection needed for Medicaid HCBS and SNAP!

STEP 2: Engage your provider network. Urge your vendors/providers, advisory board members and other important stakeholders to send their own emails to their Senators and Representatives. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of Medicaid HCBS to older adults and people with disabilities in your community and state. Forward this Advocacy Alert to your networks or edit it to be best received by your agency’s advocates.
 
STEP 3: Share on social media. Beyond engaging your Senators and Representatives directly, everyone needs to know how important Medicaid HCBS and SNAP are to the health and well-being of millions of older adults. See below for sample language you can adapt into social media posts. (Note: If posting on X, please ensure your message is within the platform’s 280-character limit by shortening the sample post as needed.)

 

• Americans who rely on Medicaid for health care and long-term care could face reduced access to critical services under the proposed Republican reconciliation bill. Medicaid is a lifeline for the seven million older adults who rely on it for help with activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing, which allows them to live well at home. Please contact your lawmakers today to protect Medicaid HCBS for older adults! [LINK to USAging’s or your agency’s alert]
   
• Act NOW! Americans are at risk of losing essential nutrition support through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to major SNAP cuts in the proposed Republican reconciliation bill. Please educate your lawmakers on how critical this food program is to the health and well-being of millions of hungry Americans. Use our alert to take action today! [LINK to USAging’s or your agency’s alert]

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If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or USAging’s policy positions, please contact the USAging Policy Team, Amy Gotwals, Olivia Umoren and Seth Ickes at policy@usaging.org.