John,

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington have made quite clear their desire to enact deep cuts to human needs programs―and to create a fiscal commission that would cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and more behind closed doors. But, at a time of rising poverty, hunger, and housing insecurity, any proposals to address our country’s debt must require the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share in taxes.

Cuts to critical programs and services would only serve to harm vulnerable communities.

Tomorrow, the House Budget Committee is expected to vote on so-called “fiscal commission” legislation.¹ We need to remind every member of Congress that a vote for a debt commission is a vote to cut critical programs and services for older Americans, people with disabilities, and low-income people and families.

Send a message to Congress right now demanding no backdoor cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and more!

Because Budget Chair Arrington is unlikely to get the cuts he wants as part of regular funding bills, he instead wants to use this commission to ram through cuts. Some of the cuts that Arrington has proposed include:²

• $400 billion in cuts to Medicare providers

• $2 trillion in cuts to mandatory health spending—which is largely drastic cuts to Medicaid

• Instituting Medicaid work reporting requirements

• $1 trillion in cuts to economic security programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Fight back against a fiscal commission that would allow Congress to make backdoor cuts to critical programs relied upon by millions of people and families.

We will never cut our way to prosperity. That’s why we’re demanding the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share!

Meredith Dodson
Senior Director of Public Policy, Coalition on Human Needs

¹ House Budget Committee to Hold Markup of Bills H.R. 5779, H.R. 6952, and H.R. 6957
² Johnson embraces deficit fight, setting up battle over Medicare, Social Security