Participants in the recent Spring Lobby Weekend left the March event buoyed with hope but also realistic of the challenges confronting two federal programs they sought to protect.
More than 300 young people had gathered in Washington, DC to lobby their members of Congress to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid.
SNAP helps 41 million people stave off hunger while 72 million people use Medicaid for their healthcare.
The White House and Republicans in Congress are proposing to cut these federal programs to pay for more tax cuts for wealthy people and fund a massive increase in deportation, detention, and militarization.
Low-income families will bear the brunt of these budget cuts.
“It is too easy to feel helpless,” said Stacey Warren of Addison, TX. “We are not helpless.”
Stacey grew up on SNAP and Medicaid. “I need to protect them for others who are just like me…I don’t want to be the one who didn’t do enough to protect these essential programs,” she said.
Together, these young advocates conducted more than 100 lobby visits during Spring Lobby Weekend, buttressed by more than 10,000 letters to Congress.
“I have two Republican senators. They have not been front and center on these issues…. They need to hear from me,” said Annie Wise of Loveland, OH.
It was not difficult to train the young lobbyists on the importance of these two federal programs because, like Stacy, many grew up benefiting from these programs.
“This issue is personal to me,” said Jonathan Guerra of South Dallas, TX. “I needed SNAP. My whole family did.”
He added that it was good to hear how SNAP impacted other families. “It is good to know that I am not alone. We are not alone,” he said.
“SNAP and Medicaid are intertwined,” said Dawn Butler Pierce of Hunger-Free America, speaking during Spring Lobby Weekend. “They are like twins. Most SNAP recipients also receive Medicaid. Most Medicaid recipients also get SNAP.”
In early April, the House and the Senate eventually passed a budget framework that outlines draconian cuts to health care and food assistance for millions of people.
“As people of faith, we are called to love our neighbors and help those in need. But this budget resolution takes from the poor to fund tax cuts for the rich, mass deportation, and the continued militarization of our world,” said Bridget Moix, FCNL general secretary, commenting on the passage of the Senate version of the resolution.
The Senate tried to hide the level of budget cuts, but the House numbers are clear. It cuts Medicaid by as much as $880 billion and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by up to $230 billion.
While FCNL is deeply disappointed by these votes, it is not deterred. “Our work does not end here,” said Amelia Kegan, FCNL associate general secretary for policy advocacy.
She said that FCNL’s advocacy has helped generate major pressure on Congress. It has created strong bipartisan opposition to cuts to SNAP and Medicaid and is preventing more severe cuts proposed by some conservative lawmakers.
This budget resolution is just one step in the budget reconciliation process. Since budget reconciliation is not subject to a Senate filibuster, it is important that we convince more legislators to work against cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
Based on the budget reconciliation framework, Congress has started drafting legislation to determine what cuts to make to Medicaid, SNAP, clean energy, and other programs.
In view of this, FCNL has ramped up its advocacy.
When Congress was on a two-week recess in April, FCNL advocates lobbied members of Congress in their local offices. They lobbied them on SNAP, Medicaid, and other issues put on the chopping block by the budget resolution.
In Indiana, 20 Quakers, Roman Catholics, and high school students met the staff of Sen. Todd Young (IN), a key Republican member of Congress.
They shared how cuts to Medicaid would not only impact them personally, but also the devastating impact of cuts on hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers.
Outside of Oklahoma City, OK, a Presbyterian pastor minister urged Rep. Tom Cole (OK-4), the top House appropriator, to oppose policies that would strip away life-saving support for low-income people.
In Omaha, NE, the music director of a local Episcopal church led a small group to lobby Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2).
They urged him to speak out against the Trump administration “dismantling agencies, firing federal employees… withholding approved funds, [and] cuts to Medicaid.”
“Our voices will be increasingly needed in the coming weeks to protect vital programs like SNAP and Medicaid,” said Amelia. “This is a moral issue. Congress should not be taking away health care and food assistance to fund deportation, militarization and extending tax cuts for those who do not need them.
“Our advocacy is having an impact, and I believe we can make a real difference,” she added.
