Statement of Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families
The Senate has voted to advance a Republican Budget Bill that would undermine the health and economic security of 17 million people who rely on essential programs like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for health care coverage.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 2, 2025 – “The budget bill passed by the Senate is indefensible and irresponsible. No amount of rhetoric, side dealing, or budgetary sleight of hand is fooling anyone about the devastating impact this bill will have on the health and well-being of millions of people across the country. Simply put, you cannot cut hundreds of millions of dollars from critical health programs like Medicaid – literally the largest cut in Medicaid’s nearly 60 year history – without causing irreparable harm. People will suffer and even die as a result of the cuts in this bill, as passed by the Senate, with estimates of up to 25,000 preventable deaths and hundreds of thousands of people losing access to their doctors, delaying preventative care like mammograms, skipping their medications, and going into debt. Fast-tracking a bill that grows more unpopular as more details come to light, that would inflict enormous harm on those with the greatest need in order to pay for tax breaks for those with the greatest wealth, is the exact opposite of what we all need and deserve from leaders.
“The numbers are staggering. The bill slashes Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion over the next ten years. This bill adds new burdensome work reporting requirements for Medicaid recipients – even though most Medicaid recipients already work – that will cause people who are eligible to lose coverage because they cannot keep up with paperwork. These requirements would fall the hardest on pregnant women, people with disabilities, older adults and women with low-incomes. The bill would make it harder to enroll in and afford health care through the ACA Marketplace. It needlessly attacks immigrant communities, and enacts a backdoor abortion ban by “defunding” Planned Parenthood.
“These attacks on Medicaid will be devastating for providers and hospitals, with the most serious damage felt by those in rural areas. Our analysis shows that these horrific cuts will put over 140 labor and delivery units in rural areas at risk for closure, making maternal healthcare even more inaccessible in rural communities.
“The bill would also upend access to food for millions of low-income families, children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, rural communities, and people of color by forcing costs for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) onto states for the first time since the program’s creation during the Great Depression.
“And instead of supporting working families by investing in proven strategies to provide paid family and medical leave, the bill puts more money into a strategy that has not worked – the 45S tax credit has not successfully expanded access to paid family leave in a meaningful way. While the National Partnership is deeply committed to paid leave, putting more money towards a tax credit that’s not working isn’t a real solution for workers and their families; it’s just another giveaway to wealthy corporations. Indeed, ninety percent of these credits are claimed by corporations with over $1 billion in annual revenue. Businesses that can easily afford to provide these benefits to their employees already do so. Since it was first enacted in 2017, this tax credit has done nothing to put paid leave within reach for the over 100 million people who lack it, and has not led to the widespread changes in business practices and policies that it promised.
“As we prepare to commemorate the nation’s birthday, we urge members of the House of Representatives to vote to stop this dangerous bill that will do much more harm and too little good. Congress can act to protect access to health care and access to food for those who need it most. A nation that calls itself the greatest can and must do better for all of its people.”
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