Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Defends Medicaid, SNAP, and Inflation Reduction Act Amid Republican Attacks on Working Families

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) defended critical social safety net programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as well as key provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), during a hearing amid threats from Congressional Republicans to cut these programs in order to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. During a joint House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee hearing between the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs and the Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, Congressman Krishnamoorthi, as ranking member, used his opening statement and question line to denounce Republican efforts to weaken social and IRA programs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that almost nine million Americans could lose their Medicaid coverage if current legislative proposals advance, including hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans. Estimates also say that projected cuts will cause one in four Americans to lose their SNAP benefits, literally taking food away from people like Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s family when he was younger while his parents found good-quality jobs to realize the American Dream.

“For the past few months, House Republicans have been debating within their caucus how deeply they can slash critical services for working people in order to fund their tax plan for the wealthiest among us,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said during his opening statement. “These cuts aren’t about reducing waste, fraud, or abuse; they’re about making room for more tax breaks for the wealthy at the expense of hard-working Americans. The Inflation Reduction Act has strengthened the health care system of our country while also expanding opportunity and boosting our economy in the process. That’s what government should be about. I won’t stand idly by while House Republicans dismantle the IRA, safety net programs, and other initiatives their donors dislike.”

During his opening statement, Congressman Krishnamoorthi shared a personal story on Medicaid from Julia, a 43-year-old constituent living with disabilities. Her job training program, funded through Medicaid, has allowed Julia to learn and succeed at her job. Julia’s mother, Joan, worries that if Medicaid is cut, Julia will have no one to look out for her as she grows older.

“From destroying the safety net to polluting our air and water, this Administration is jeopardizing every single community in America – red states and blue states, large cities and small towns, manufacturers and farmers – no one will be left unharmed,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said.

During his question line, Congressman Krishnamoorthi called attention to the risks posed to rural hospitals if Republicans go through with their proposed cuts. In Illinois, eight rural hospitals would be at risk of immediate closure if the proposed cuts of $625 billion to Medicaid go through, according to the Center for Health Care Quality and Payment Reform. The closure of these hospitals, usually the largest employers in the area, would be devastating for communities across the state who depend on them for access to health care.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi also called attention to the CBO’s estimate that the current Republican budget bill will add more than $4 trillion to the U.S. debt, while quoting President Donald Trump telling Republicans in the House to not “f**k around” with Medicaid during a closed-door meeting between the president and the Republican caucus on Tuesday morning.

“There are cuts of hundreds of billions of dollars in the reconciliation bill to Medicaid,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “The House GOP conference is violating, I think, what Donald Trump is trying to convey."

The full opening statement is available here and the full question line is available here.