Toolkit: stop the cuts

  • The House of Representatives has passed a reconciliation bill that includes massive cuts to Medicaid and will take health care services away from millions of people, including people with disabilities. The bill now heads to the Senate, where we have another chance to stop it. We must take action now. These proposed cuts come at a time when families are already struggling with rising costs and economic uncertainty, threatening the health, stability, and futures of communities across the country.

    This toolkit offers timely messaging guidance, key talking points, digital assets, and the latest updates to help highlight the real-world harm of this reckless budget plan.

    • Donald Trump and Speaker Johnson are only looking out for the special interests that got them elected - while the rest of us foot the bill. We have to come together and take action to stop his tax breaks for the wealthy, cuts to Medicare and Social Security, and risky proposals that will increase costs for middle class families. 

    • Donald Trump and Republicans’ tax plans will hurt the middle class and American families. Defunding our education system, cutting food stamps, and cutting healthcare for veterans, seniors in assisted living facilities, and children with disabilities. All at the expense of giving the rich and big corporations massive tax cuts. 

    • Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, are slashing programs that American families rely on. They've cut money for schools, aid to farmers, and funding for healthcare. At the same time, they're making it easier for big banks and credit card companies to rip you off. 

    • Cutting health care, food assistance, and student loans would not only harm families immediately but also lead to long-term negative impacts. Losing Medicaid means people will go without essential treatments, and cuts to SNAP will lead to increased food insecurity and health challenges for children.

    • Student loan cuts make higher education more expensive by increasing loan interest and potentially cutting funding for college grants. This would make it harder for families to afford education, adding more financial burden on students and their families.

    • Extreme Giveaway to the Wealthy: The House budget contains over $4 trillion in tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy at the expense of families already struggling with the cost of living. Half the tax benefits in this budget would go to high-income households, while low-income families would bear the brunt of the spending cuts, losing access to essential services like food and health coverage. (CBPP 2/21)

    • Massive Cuts to Vital Social Programs: The House plan mandates deep cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, student loans, and school meals. These cuts would directly harm low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities.

    • Higher Costs for Families: As a result of the cuts, families would face higher costs for things like healthcare, food, and paying for college.

    • Cuts to Essential Services: The House budget proposes cuts to dozens of vital government services such as school funding, medical research, clean air and water protection, and Social Security services.

    • Fiscally Irresponsible: Both the House and Senate plans will increase the deficit by trillions.  (NPR)

    • Work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP would cause disproportionate harm to the most vulnerable: low-income adults, parents, people with disabilities, and the elderly (CBPP)

    • Healthcare access (through Medicaid) and hunger prevention (through SNAP) impact basic human needs. Advocating for these programs is not only about economics but about ensuring that people can live with dignity and security.

    • Every district in the country will be affected by these cuts, either directly or through the ripple effect on local healthcare systems, food banks, and community services.

    • Instead of cutting services and giving tax cuts to the wealthy, Congress should focus on expanding access to job training, childcare, and educational opportunities as real solutions for helping people move toward stable employment.

  • Ohio Contact Info:

    • U.S. Senator: Bernie Moreno, 216-522-7272

    • U.S. Senator: Jon Husted, 202-224-3353

    Call 866-426-2631 to contact your Senators.

    Use this call-in line provided by SEIU and convey these talking points:

    • Tell your Senator: No Cuts to Medicaid. Whether it’s work requirements, eligibility changes, or reduced funding—a cut is a cut and will have devastating consequences.

    • Medicaid and Medicare Work Together. A cut to Medicaid is a cut to Medicare. These programs are interconnected, ensuring older adults and people with disabilities receive the care and support they need.

    • Cuts Have Real Consequences. Any reduction in Medicaid funding means fewer services, higher costs, and loss of access to essential health and long-term care for older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers.

    • Millions Rely on Medicaid. Over 7 million older adults and 12 million people with Medicare depend on Medicaid. Slashing the program would cause serious and lasting harm.

    • Make It Personal. Lawmakers need to hear how Medicaid impacts their constituents.

    GENERATE CALLS: Call Your Members of Congress using the SEIU Toll Free Line

    • Use the Congressional hotline: 866-426-2631 (line is available in English and Spanish).

    • You can also use this line to organize a volunteer phone bank.

    • Here's a script: [DOWNLOAD SCRIPT]


    PUBLISH OP EDS & LTES

    ORGANIZE EVENTS:  Of course, the most immediate and visible way to let your GOP Members of Congress know that constituents understand what they are doing in DC is to organize events that mobilize people to call on these Members to oppose cuts to healthcare. Small, district events are fine. Remember that Republicans are voting late at night for a reason: they don't want their constituents to know. It's our job to expose the truth. 

    • Tax cuts and extensions

      • The centerpiece of the bill is an extension of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, which would otherwise expire at the end of this year. That means the current lower rates, expanded standard deduction, business tax breaks and various other provisions would continue. The move affects Americans in all income tax brackets, but the largest benefits are projected to go to the highest earners.

    • Medicaid restrictions

      • The legislation contains one of the largest Medicaid funding cuts in modern history, projected to be nearly $700 billion. That includes stricter work requirements for able-bodied adults under 65, which will begin on the last day of 2026, creating new rules and paperwork for those on Medicaid. It also adds more frequent eligibility checks, address verifications and provisions to verify legal status of beneficiaries.

    • Increasing the State and Local Tax Deduction, or SALT

      • The legislation also makes an important change to the state and local tax deduction — known as SALT — by boosting the current $10,000 cap to $40,000. The deduction only applies to taxpayers earning less than $500,000 per year.

    • Border security funding

      • The bill contains about $150 billion in new funds to beef up border security and carry out Trump's mass deportation plans. That includes money to finish building the barrier system at the U.S.-Mexico border and a funding boost for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

    • $1,000 "Trump accounts" for child savings

      • The measure creates new tax-preferred savings accounts for children that the federal government seeds with a $1,000 deposit. Parents could then contribute an additional $5,000 annually until the child is 18. The money can be used for educational purposes, for a down payment for a home or to start a small business.

    • Restrictions on food stamps

      • The package hits another federal safety-net program: food stamps. To achieve savings, the legislation cuts $290 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the food aid program for low-income Americans.

    • Rolling back clean energy programs

      • The bill terminates several hundred billion dollars in clean cuts. It ends energy tax breaks for consumers, including on clean vehicles and energy-efficient items for homes. It ends or phases out production or investment tax credits for clean fuels, clean electricity and hydrogen production.

    • Addressing the debt limit

      • The bill is projected by the CBO to add $2.3 trillion to the federal deficit over 10 years, with the tax breaks and new expenditures far outweighing the savings. It also raises the debt ceiling by $4 trillion ahead of a summer deadline announced by the Treasury Department for Congress to act or risk a catastrophic default. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged Congress to act by mid-July in order to prevent an economic meltdown if the U.S. government is unable to meet its obligations.

    • A huge boost in military spending

      • The legislation includes a one-time boost of $150 billion in new military spending on matters like shipbuilding, air and missile defense, nuclear forces and cybersecurity, among others.

  • Stop the Cuts Content

    • 770,793 Ohioans are enrolled in Medicaid under the expansion program (Group VIII). 

    • If Congress reduces the federal funding rate from 90% to a lower rate (closer to the typical 62.5%), Ohio would face billions of dollars in additional costs. 

    • The pending state operating budget (HB 96) includes a provision that would immediately end Medicaid coverage for these individuals if the federal share drops below 90%. 

    • This means that if the federal funding decreases, hundreds of thousands of low-income Ohioans could lose their health coverage very quickly.

    • 12.4% of Ohio households depend on SNAP for food, that’s 1.4 million recipients, including children, living in over 611,000 households at risk of losing some or all benefits.

    • Ohio residents receive $3.178 billion in total SNAP benefits annually.

    • If this proposal advances, Ohio recipients will lose a total of $7.788 billion in benefits over 10 years.

    • 10,100 Ohio retailers are at risk of losing revenue.