Help Us Protect Access to Safe Food and Clean Water: Take Action Now!
Critical Budget Cuts Threaten Our Health
A proposed budget making its way through Congress poses a serious threat to vital clean water projects and will lead to millions of families losing food assistance. This dire situation demands immediate attention, and together, we can make a difference.
A Dangerous Agenda in Congress
Allies of Donald Trump in Congress are advocating for budget legislation that could drastically cut crucial programs essential for the health and well-being of countless Americans. Among the proposed changes are cuts to food assistance for children and families, as well as significant reductions to essential clean water initiatives.
At the same time, these legislators aim to deliver a staggering $4.5 trillion in tax breaks primarily to corporations and the ultra-wealthy. This move is not just misguided—it’s a direct attack on the most vulnerable among us. In essence, it condemns countless children to hunger while fattening the wallets of billionaires like Elon Musk.
This budget reconciliation plan is not only unethical but, if passed, it will cost lives. We must unite to stop it and demand that our leaders reject the Musk-Trump agenda, ensuring that affordable food and safe water are accessible to every American. Here’s what you need to know:
Congress’s Budget for Corporations Over Communities
Members of Congress are utilizing the budget reconciliation process, which allows them to fast-track Trump’s budget agenda. This method is available only once per fiscal year and enables certain spending, tax, and debt limit legislation to bypass the standard requirement of at least 60 Senate votes to overcome a filibuster. Instead, only a simple majority of 51 votes is required, making it exceedingly difficult to obstruct when one party controls both the House and Senate, along with the Presidency.
The process initiated in February when the House passed a resolution, known as H. Con. Res. 14, outlining their principal goals for the budget reconciliation bill. Crucially, this plan aims to extend and expand Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, predominantly benefiting those at the top of the economic ladder.
The House resolution outlines $4.5 trillion in tax breaks, mostly for corporations and the ultra-wealthy. To accommodate these tax cuts, the plan necessitates major cuts to essential services, including popular programs like Medicare and Medicaid and funding for food access.
On April 5, the Senate passed the resolution, dressed up with various amendments in an attempt to mask the proposed cuts. Yet, these gimmicks are merely illusions designed to obscure the reality that they are endorsing cuts to essential public services. This week, the House will vote on these Senate amendments before finalizing the actual details of the budget reconciliation bill, providing us with an opportunity to influence our leaders’ decisions.
Unpacking the Food Assistance Cuts
The proposed budget directly threatens federal food assistance programs that provide critical support to millions of families. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—previously known as food stamps—currently benefits over 40 million low-income individuals each month. However, the resolution calls for a $230 billion cut to programs under the House Agriculture Committee, directly impacting SNAP.
Many of the representatives lending support to this reconciliation effort represent constituents who rely heavily on SNAP. Should they proceed, they would be pivotal in stripping food access from their own communities.
Moreover, the resolution jeopardizes the National School Lunch Program, with proposals to slice off $330 billion from programs under the Education and Workforce Committee. This program plays a crucial role in feeding 20 million children nationwide, ensuring that students have the nourishment they need for learning and growth.
The proposed budget could also threaten the Community Eligibility Provision, which allows schools serving a substantial percentage of low-income students to offer free lunch to all. The plan could strip eligibility from over 24,000 schools, effectively denying over 12 million children access to nutritious meals.
Water Safety Under Attack
The resolution also calls for cuts that jeopardize clean, affordable water access. One of the proposals includes the removal of the tax exemption on municipal bonds, which finance crucial local infrastructure projects, including water treatment facilities. Nearly 90% of water and wastewater projects are funded by local governments through these low-interest, tax-exempt bonds. Disabling this exemption would severely limit local governments’ ability to fund essential projects aimed at ensuring safe drinking water.
The consequences of such cuts are dire: they would lead to soaring costs and potentially hazardous water quality. With one in three households already struggling to afford water bills, these changes present a significant risk to public health.
Take a Stand Against These Budget Cuts!
The implications of passing these budget cuts would be catastrophic for millions across the nation. They would obstruct access to essential food and water services, placing public health at risk and, tragically, endangering lives. This budget reconciliation framework prioritizes the affluent while callously neglecting the needs of low-income families and children.
Members of Congress advocating for this measure are failing their constituents by cutting vital support programs. Instead of surrendering to the Musk-Trump agenda, they must prioritize the needs of the very communities they represent.
Since we first learned about this budget proposal, Food & Water Watch has been tirelessly mobilizing to combat it. Through emails, calls to representatives, rallies, and face-to-face meetings, we are demanding accountability.
Together, we can hold our leaders accountable and stop this harmful budget reconciliation bill!
Make Your Voice Heard: Don’t Defund Safe Food and Clean Water!
Now is the time to act. Click here to send a message to your representatives urging them not to sacrifice our right to safe food and clean water for the elites. Your voice matters!
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