July 2, 2025 Advocacy Alert

URGENT: Tell Your Representatives to Reject Harmful Medicaid and SNAP Cuts!

July 2, 2025

Snapshot
(A 30-second read for busy people)

• Senate Republicans narrowly passed their reconciliation bill yesterday, moving one step closer to implementing dangerous cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. See USAging’s reconciliation bill tracker and member analysis.
• While the Byrd Rule resulted in “Byrd droppings” and eliminated some Medicaid and SNAP provisions found to be in violation of the rule, the bill is still a major threat to these programs’ ability to help older adults and people with disabilities.  
• The reconciliation package now heads to the House, and members are expected to start voting as soon as today to meet the July 4th deadline.
• Action Needed: Call and email your Representatives TODAY! Only hours remain to make your voice heard about this dangerous bill! Use our NEW template letter and social media posts (see below) to urge your Representatives to reject these harmful cuts. Even if you have written to them before, please take action again.

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Yesterday, Senate Republicans passed their reconciliation bill, 51-50, with a tie-breaking vote from the Vice President. Despite three Republican Senators voting against the bill, Republicans are on the verge of locking in historic reductions in Medicaid services and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to partially pay for extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts. The bill also creates additional tax cuts the President campaigned on, including an enhanced tax deduction for roughly half of older adults although not those with the lowest incomes.
 
However, the bill’s spending cuts will harm millions of people, including older adults and it is not fully paid for—significantly increasing the national debt. Per the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034, $1 trillion more than the House-passed bill, adding nearly 10 percent to the $36 trillion debt over the 10-year period. USAging is concerned that this major debt increase will only lead to deeper reductions in safety net and other needed federal programs by future legislators in the name of debt reduction, especially absent a national conversation about how tax policy may need to change given the historic demographics of an aging nation. Additionally, the CBO also found that 11.8 million people would lose their health insurance by 2034 if this bill becomes law, which is 1.1 million more people than the House-passed bill.
 
This vote comes after the Senate Committees went through the Byrd Rule process to identify any “extraneous” provisions that would need to be removed from the bill. Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate Parliamentarian who led this process, identified several provisions in violation of the rule, including some Medicaid and SNAP provisions. The Parliamentarian ruled against provisions that sought to block implementation of two Biden-era regulations that seek to impose minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities and make it easier for older adults and individuals with disabilities to enroll in Medicaid and Medicare Savings Programs and maintain coverage. The Senate Republicans’ tweaked plan to push some SNAP costs onto states was approved by the Parliamentarian, though the passed bill gives states more time between finding out how much of SNAP they need to pay for and when they need to start paying.
 
Note: The reconciliation process is separate from the appropriations process and only applies to mandatory, not discretionary, funding. Older Americans Act (OAA) and other discretionary programs are not included in the reconciliation process.
 
What's Next?

The House is up next to vote on the reconciliation bill with a much slimmer majority than the Senate. House Republicans are still divided as moderates are concerned about changes to Medicaid and conservatives believe the bill does not go far enough with spending cuts. The House Rules Committee convened yesterday to craft rules for the legislation’s consideration ahead of a House vote potentially happening today. However, the House Freedom Caucus warned the bill may not be done by the self-imposed July 4th deadline. Of note, President Trump expressed openness to moving back the deadline in comments to reporters yesterday morning.
 
Congress is just days away from potentially implementing a bill with massive implications for millions of older Americans and it is now up to House Republicans to decide if this bill is reconsidered or goes straight to the President’s desk for a signature.

Take Action Now!

STEP 1: Even if you’ve reached out before, please email and call your Representatives and urge them to reject these drastic, unprecedented cuts to Medicaid and SNAP! We updated our sample language for you to borrow and customize. Contact their DC and local offices; email addresses/webforms and phone numbers can be found in the House Directory.
 
STEP 2: Engage your provider network. Urge your vendors/providers, advisory board members and other important stakeholders to send their own emails to your Representatives. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of Medicaid HCBS and SNAP 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 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 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 Representatives 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 Republican reconciliation bill. Please educate your Representatives 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 Ezeuko and Seth Ickes at policy@usaging.org.