Today. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference to highlight the catastrophic impact President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” would have on New York’s children and families. More than 37 million children nationwide rely on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to access essential health care, and this legislation would threaten their ability to receive behavioral health treatment, vision and hearing screenings, and other basic care. Furthermore, additional and more onerous work requirements for SNAP included in the bill will apply to parents and households with children; this added red tape could force thousands of kids to go hungry when their parents lose access to benefits.
“Republicans’ proposed cuts to SNAP and Medicaid will hurt our kids,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Half of all patients at pediatric hospitals are covered by Medicaid, and thousands of children across the country rely on the Medicaid-funded checkups and mental and behavioral health care they get at school. Harsher work requirements for SNAP will also deprive hungry kids whose parents are struggling to find work of high-quality nutrition. This legislation is a betrayal of our kids and our families, and I am urging my Republican colleagues to reconsider it.”
School districts across the country receive Medicaid funding to hire school nurses, psychologists, speech language pathologists, and other health professionals. Medicaid also funds the purchase of assistive technology and specialized equipment for students with disabilities. Stripping Medicaid of funding would force schools to lay off health staff and limit services, depriving many low-income kids of some of their only access to health care. Harsher work requirements for SNAP will force kids to go hungry if their parents cannot find work that covers the cost of child care, provides the minimum number of hours, and does not interfere with a school schedule or caring for a sick child.
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