The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted on a proposed budget that would cut $880 billion from Medicaid and $230 billion from SNAP food assistance while also slashing other programs, including meals for school children, to give $1.5 trillion in tax cuts aimed mostly to benefit the very wealthy.
The measure passed by just a two-vote margin. Both of West Virginia’s representatives voted for it.
If this becomes law, the damage done to West Virginians across the board would be incalculable.
Medicaid alone provides health coverage to over 72 million people nationwide and to more than 500,000 West Virginians, including working adults, children, seniors, pregnant women, people with disabilities and people getting treatment for substance use disorder. That’s close to 1-in-3 of us.
We’d be hit harder by this than most other states. Nationwide, 1-in-5 people are covered. It’s almost double that in West Virginia.
According to the Kaiser Family Fund, as of August 2024, around half of all childbirths are paid for by Medicaid here, while nearly the same percentage of children are either covered by it or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. It’s the major source of people needing long-term care, including 7-of-9 people in nursing homes. It provides benefits for 40% of people with disabilities.
And while it covers many people who are too young or no longer able to work, most adults receiving it are employed.
The funding, most of which comes from the federal government, supports local economies, keeps rural hospitals open and keeps people alive. It’s no exaggeration to say that, if this goes through, people will die as a direct result. And people would lose their jobs.
If that wasn’t enough, the budget would reduce SNAP food assistance to 42 million people. As with Medicaid, we’d take a disproportionate hit here, as well. Our state ranks third highest in the percentage of SNAP households, just behind New Mexico and Louisiana. Nationally, about 12% of people receive SNAP, while it’s 16% here.
According to the Food Research and Action Center, SNAP helps 124,000 households here, or 279,000 individuals. It brings more than $40 million a month to the state, helping 2,170 grocery stores and farmers’ markets and creating jobs. It’s estimated that each dollar’s worth of SNAP spending generates about $1.80 in economic activity.
Households receiving SNAP include children, the elderly, people with disabilities and veterans. As with Medicaid, most SNAP households include at least one working member. And if you’re worried that these people are living high on the hog, you can relax. The average daily benefit here is $4.54 per person.
On top of all that, the budget bill cuts $12 billion in funding for school breakfasts and lunches and makes sweeping restrictions to the Community Eligibility Provision, which supports meals for all. The FRAC estimates this will reduce access to food in 24,000 schools with 12 million students.
In West Virginia, we’re talking about effects in 468 schools with more than 180,000 students. This would undo years of progress at the national and state levels. The CEP has proven very popular in every county in West Virginia, since it cuts bureaucracy, improves child nutrition and educational outcomes, removes stigma and gives working families a break.
The combined effects of these proposed cuts would hurt people across all political and demographic lines. Fortunately, it’s not a done deal. There will be more votes on this over the next few months. This could give time for people to voice their concerns and for lawmakers to reconsider their actions.
It’s important to urge our senators to put the brakes on this. To her credit, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said back in 2017, “I didn’t go to Washington to hurt people,†when huge health care cuts were on the agenda. Back when he was governor, Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., expanded food aid to low-income children when school was not in session, and he established the Jobs and Hope program.
Before it’s over, I hope at least some of our representatives will put the people of West Virginia above all else.
