John,

Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House leadership are threatening to force a catastrophic economic default unless their extreme demands to gut overwhelmingly popular and hard-earned benefit programs are met.

The right-wing in the House wants to cut, cap, or otherwise restrict SNAP and Medicaid programs. They would subject other programs, including the Social Security Administration budget, to 22% percent cuts. That would put increased barriers between us and our Social Security benefits and would result in an even deeper backlog of disability claims.

Make no mistake: Kevin McCarthy’s willingness to hold the economy hostage and make working people, the aging, and people with disabilities pay the price is nothing short of extreme and dangerous.

The American public is already hurting due to skyrocketing costs of living and our recovery from a once-in-a-century global pandemic. Gutting programs relied upon by low-income, disabled, and aging communities is cruel. Add your name today to demand Kevin McCarthy and House leadership back off our benefits.

The Republican Study Committee, which includes 75% of the House Republican caucus, released a budget for 2023 that would take drastic measures to reduce or eliminate Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and SNAP benefits through further means-testing, cutting funding, and imposing stricter requirements to gut coverage for millions of people.

48.6 million seniors rely on Social Security assistance every month to pay their bills. Nearly 64 million seniors rely on Medicare for their health coverage. More than 90 million Americans receive life-saving coverage through Medicaid. The entire country will suffer if our nation defaults on its debts, or if the right-wing is able to force dangerous cuts in vital food, health and other programs. Kevin McCarthy and his caucus are recklessly moving to allow a predictable disaster to occur.

We cannot allow an extreme set of lawmakers to hold our economy hostage in order to inflict pain on millions of people. Join us today in telling Speaker McCarthy and House leadership to back off our benefits!

We’ll be delivering your signature directly to the speaker’s office next Monday, in conjunction with our national allies.

Thank you for all you do to support vulnerable communities,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs