With this MAGA-led majority in the House of Representatives, the cruelty is the point.

After weeks of waffling, Kevin McCarthy's MAGA caucus finally unveiled their plans to make devastating cuts to the federal budget on the backs of our most vulnerable – seniors, low-income families, and folks living in rural communities.

Their proposal slashes just about every service you can think of – senior housing, health benefits, social services personnel, veterans' services, transportation safety measures, and on and on.

But perhaps the most callous cut of all is that this budget will decimate funding for nutrition services.

That means:

• More than one million American seniors will lose access to Meals on Wheels. In rural communities especially, where seniors sometimes are 30 minutes or more from the nearest supermarket, Meals on Wheels is a critical lifeline; for many seniors, this may be the only well-rounded meal of the day they receive.
   
• Millions more will be denied SNAP benefits. Currently, more than 40 million people rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to put food on the table each month. McCarthy's team is aggressively trying to make it more difficult for families to get that food.

It boils down to this: Congressional Republicans blow massive craters in our budget by cutting taxes for billionaires at every opportunity. Now, they're trying to claw back less than 1% of the federal budget in order to make sure hungry people don't get too attached to the idea of feeding their children.

They're calling that "fiscal responsibility." It's not. It's heartless arrogance.

This is what's at stake next in the 2024 elections, and it's up to us to get the word out. Please contribute $5 today to build the movement for rural families.

Mike Espy Former Secretary of Agriculture