Dear John,
COVID is spreading and Texans are losing their jobs.
Yet, in response to a request from state leaders, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has offered a first draft of potential 5 percent budget cuts that would hurt Texans during these difficult times. For example, if enacted, the proposal would:
- Cut women's health, ECI respite services, and other programs;
- Scale back oversight of child care safety, just a year after the Legislature beefed up oversight following reports of kids dying in child care; and
- Reduce staff that processes applications for Medicaid, CHIP, and SNAP food stamps, potentially delaying families' access to these services when they need it most.
Fortunately, these cuts have not been finalized. HHSC emphasized that they may update their proposal. State leaders have not directed the agency to start implementing the cuts. And it appears that the Legislative Budget Board must hold a hearing before any cuts are implemented.
We are hopeful that Texas leaders will shoot down these proposed cuts, recognizing the importance of fully funding these programs amid a global pandemic and soaring unemployment.
As the Governor, Lt. Governor, House Speaker, and state legislators deal with this and other budget decisions over the next year, it's important to underscore that they have choices.
Instead of making these cuts, they should use the state's Rainy Day Fund and urge Congress to provide additional funding to states, including increased Medicaid FMAP funding.
