“When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people the giant triplets of racism, economic exploitation and militarism are incapable of being conquered. A civilization can flounder as readily in the face of moral bankruptcy as it can through financial bankruptcy.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.    

Congress’s current plans to extend huge tax cuts for billionaires, while cutting Medicaid and food stamps, among dozens of other federal benefit programs, are the very essence of the giant triplets of evil Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. forewarned against.  

On Tuesday February 25th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Budget Resolution that would require Congress to cut $880 billion from the Medicaid program and $230 billion from SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), essentially gutting vulnerable American’s access to health care and basic nutrition. Meanwhile, they are extending and expanding tax breaks for wealthy households and businesses. 

Now that the bill has passed the House, it will move to the Senate. We must come together and let our Senators know – the House Budget Resolution must not pass! And we must urge the House to stop all attempts to cut Medicaid and SNAP. 

This budget resolution would make it so more families will struggle to pay their bills and afford groceries; more children will live in poverty; fewer people will have access to lifesaving health care and coverage; and families will pay more for basic goods due to newly-imposed tariffs —  as billionaires grow wealthier through expensive tax cuts heavily skewed toward them. 

The harm from this bill wouldn’t be limited to low-income or out of work individuals. Some 100 million people have health coverage through Medicaid, the ACA marketplaces, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); and 40 million people get help buying groceries through SNAP. 

As Christians, we know that people should not live in or die from poverty in our rich nation. Claiming that the United States does not have an abundance of resources to overcome poverty are false narratives used to perpetuate economic exploitation, exclusion, and deepen inequality. 

Tell Congress to protect these critical programs!