In the United States, Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are two critical components of the federal safety net, providing health coverage and food assistance to millions of low-income individuals and families. Medicaid offers free or low-cost healthcare to people with limited incomes, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. SNAP, often referred to as “food stamps,” helps eligible households afford basic groceries.

These programs are now at risk due to a controversial legislative proposal currently under debate in the U.S. Congress. Known informally as the “Big, Beautiful Bill”, this sweeping budget plan includes significant tax cuts, increases in military and border security spending, and deep reductions to social programs. The bill reflects several priorities from the current presidential administration and has sparked widespread concern from various sectors of society.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill passed by the House of Representatives would result in nearly $793 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the next decade, potentially leaving more than 10 million people without health coverage. It also proposes major reductions to SNAP, which could lead to millions losing access to food assistance.

These proposed cuts have drawn strong opposition from religious, charitable, and nonprofit organizations that work directly with low-income communities. They warn that such measures could have devastating and unprecedented impacts on vulnerable populations, exacerbating poverty, hunger, and lack of medical care across the country.

The bill’s path through the Senate remains contentious. Though a narrow majority voted to begin formal debate, deep divisions remain among lawmakers, even within the ruling party. Some oppose the social spending cuts, while others are concerned about the bill’s effect on the national debt. The current draft spans 940 pages and includes additional reductions not present in the House version, especially targeting incentives for clean energy and electric vehicles.

Public debate has intensified as details of the proposal emerge, with critics arguing it could undermine investment in renewable energy, hurt job growth, and damage the U.S.’s competitive edge, particularly in the face of global challenges like climate change and industrial competition with countries like China.

As legislative negotiations continue, the future of programs like Medicaid and SNAP—and the well-being of millions of Americans who rely on them—remains uncertain.

In response to these developments, John Berry, National President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA (SVdP USA)—one of the largest Catholic charitable organizations in the country—has issued a strong public appeal. Drawing on the society’s faith-driven mission and daily work with the poor across the United States, Berry calls on lawmakers to reconsider cuts that, in his words, would “have an unprecedented and devastating effect on the poor.”

Below is John Berry’s full statement urging Congress to protect Medicaid and SNAP and uphold the dignity and well-being of those in need.

SVdP USA National President John Berry Urges Congress to Protect Medicaid and SNAP

As Congress tries to pass the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, my fellow Vincentians and I are deeply troubled that some members of Congress see the bill as a hammer and our social safety net as the nail.

While the Senate Parliamentarian has ruled against inclusion of concerning provisions that would act as cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, one thing remains clear: This bill in its current form will have an unprecedented and devastating effect on the poor.

The cuts are staggering. The legislation, as passed by the House, would slash $793 billion of Medicaid funding over the next 10 years, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will lead to 10.3 million fewer people enrolled in this lifesaving program. It would also lead to nearly $300 billion in funding cuts over the next decade for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, resulting in an estimated 7 million people losing or having significantly lowered SNAP benefits.

This means that millions of children will go unfed, millions more adults and those with disabilities will lose health care benefits, and the gap between upper incomes and those on the lower end will widen.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA recognizes the fiscal pressures that Congress and our nation must address. But we must also ask why the poor must suffer the most – and suffer they will.

As one of the largest organizations serving the poor, our lived experience and our Catholic tradition teaches us that parts of this legislation run counter to our moral values. Our Vincentian volunteers are on the ground, striving daily to alleviate poverty in every corner of the land. Our food pantries, thrift stores, and charitable pharmacies are found in urban and rural America, in red states and blue states.

So, today, we are advocating for those too often left behind, forgotten, and marginalized and for our own volunteers in asking Congress to reconsider these painful and unfair proposed cuts. It is time for our voices to be heard.

To those in Congress, we ask that you open your eyes and hearts to those who are suffering and the systems that perpetuate poverty in this, one of the richest nations in the world. As Pope Leo XIV put it so well recently, “Helping the poor is a matter of justice before a question of charity.” Let us commit today to building a more just world that elevates us all.

Source: https://ssvpusa.org/