House Republicans’ new budget proposes funding major tax giveaways to the ultra-wealthy by slashing services to low-income Americans. The chamber’s recently proposed budget cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are the latest in a string of attacks on the social safety net, after a judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze funds that fuel these programs. While GOP leaders are framing the cuts as a means to achieve the subjective goal of fiscal responsibility, the irony is that not only will their actions likely cost the government money in the long run due to increased poverty, but they also disproportionately harm the very communities that form the backbone of the Republican voter base—white, working-class Americans in Southern states.
Medicaid and SNAP are two of the most effective anti-poverty programs in the United States. Medicaid provides health coverage to over 80 million low-income Americans, including children, seniors and people with disabilities, while SNAP benefitted more than 41 million people each month last year. These programs are not just lifelines for individuals—they are economic stabilizers to the businesses they spend their benefits at. For instance, every $1 billion in SNAP benefits generates $1.54 billion in GDP growth and supports over 13,000 jobs. Cutting these programs would not only deepen food insecurity and worsen health outcomes but also impose extended costs on taxpayers by increasing demand for emergency services and public assistance.
The proposed cuts—$880 billion from Medicaid and a 20% reduction in SNAP benefits—would force millions of Americans to make impossible choices between food, healthcare and other basic needs. For example, a mom in Mississippi, Tashai, is already struggling to keep her family afloat on her wages from working the overnight shift at a local car plant as well as working at a care facility during the day. “I was really relying on food stamps for a lot of the summer when I wasn’t able to work being home with my newborn, but now that I’m working my food stamps have been cut by more than half,” she said. “And the costs at the store just feel like they keep going up.”
The timing of these cuts could not be worse for the millions of families barely scraping by like hers. Tashai is correct in her assessment that prices are rising inflation has recently surged again, making essentials like groceries and gas even more expensive for families already living paycheck to paycheck. At the same time, new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on Canada, Mexico and China are expected to push costs for every American household this year by more than $800, while also shrinking economic output. The current tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are expected to disrupt supply chains, eliminate jobs, and drive-up consumer prices, disproportionately affecting industries like manufacturing and agriculture that are vital to Southern states. For example, the 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico could increase costs for U.S. manufacturers reliant on North American supply chains, leading to job losses and reduced productivity. Additionally, these tariffs may result in higher prices for consumers on a wide range of products, including automobiles and agricultural goods, further straining the economies of Southern states.
The paradox is striking many of those hardest hit by these policies reside in Republican strongholds. White working-class voters overwhelmingly supported Trump and GOP candidates in recent elections. Yet, they stand to lose the most from these Medicaid and SNAP cuts as low-income white Americans are the biggest group of recipients. This disconnect between rhetoric and reality could have significant political ramifications.
The economic strain caused by Trump-era policies is not new. During his first term, tariffs on goods from China alone amounted to an $80 billion tax increase on American consumers. Now, his second-term trade policies threaten to deepen this burden. The Tax Foundation estimates that new tariffs could cost 142,000 full-time jobs while reducing GDP by 0.2% over the long term, threatening progress made in GDP growth in recent years. For families already struggling with reduced SNAP benefits or losing Medicaid coverage, these additional financial pressures could push them into deeper poverty.
Even if one sets aside moral arguments for maintaining Medicaid and SNAP funding, the fiscal case against these cuts is compelling. Widespread poverty imposes enormous costs on society through increased healthcare expenditures, lost productivity and higher crime rates. The financial toll of this is catastrophic—childhood poverty alone costs the U.S. $1 trillion a year, while hunger adds another $160 billion. Turning Medicaid into block grants or imposing stricter eligibility requirements would force states to reduce benefits or limit enrollment, leaving millions without access to essential healthcare services. Moreover, cutting Medicaid would shift healthcare costs onto state governments and hospitals while increasing uncompensated care—a burden ultimately borne by taxpayers.
To actually enact fiscal responsibility, we should be strengthening programs that reduce these costs, not cutting them. Research shows that investing in anti-poverty programs like SNAP yields significant returns: Every dollar spent reduces long-term healthcare costs and boosts economic activity.
By prioritizing tax cuts for the wealthy over programs that directly benefit their constituents, GOP lawmakers risk significant financial burdens on Americans while undermining their own political support. House Republicans may believe that cutting social safety-net programs aligns with their fiscal conservatism, but this approach not only costs money, it risks alienating their base. This misguided approach echoes previous policies that cost the Republican base dearly, most notably the GOP-led push to pass NAFTA; a primary driver of the closure of tens of thousands of American factories and slashing incomes for workers without college degrees. The majority of SNAP recipients are white Americans, many of whom live in rural areas that voted overwhelmingly Republican. Similarly, Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act has been a lifeline for low-income families in Southern states like Kentucky and West Virginia—states where Trump and other Republicans won by large margins.
To safeguard Medicaid and SNAP, it will take several concurrent actions. Advocates can mobilize grassroots campaigns, directly engaging elected officials with stories of the millions of hardworking constituents who rely on these programs. Simultaneously, collaborative efforts should tap into Congressional leaders’ appetite for fiscal responsibility by highlighting the economic benefits of Medicaid and SNAP—emphasizing their role in job creation, GDP growth and reduced healthcare costs. Additionally, bringing together small businesses, healthcare providers and local leaders who are all invested in the health and wellbeing of their communities to demonstrate broad support for these programs can have a powerful impact, as we’ve already seen at recent town halls.
Another critical strategy involves bolstering data-driven research to quantify the positive impacts of Medicaid and SNAP on public health, economic stability, and educational outcomes. Nonpartisan economic policy organizations like the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, the Economic Policy Institute and the Columbia University Center on Poverty and Social Poverty all provide credible data so our policies can be informed by facts instead of fiction. This evidence can inform policy debates and shape public opinion, illustrating the long-term costs of short-sighted cuts.
The proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP would deepen poverty at a time when inflation is already squeezing family budgets while imposing long-term costs on taxpayers through increased demand for emergency services and public assistance. Furthermore, they disproportionately harm white working-class voters—the very demographic that has been instrumental in electing Republican leaders.
At a time when Americans need stability and support more than ever, slashing safety-net programs to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy is not just bad policy—it’s bad politics. Lawmakers must recognize that investing in programs like Medicaid and SNAP is an economic necessity for building a stronger, more resilient nation.