Congresswoman Brown Statement on Republican Reconciliation Bill

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) voted against the Republican Reconciliation Bill (H.R. 1). The legislation includes drastic cuts to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other basic benefits, to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected. The bill passed the House and now heads to the Senate. 

In summarizing the bill, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the net effect of the legislation would be a decrease in resources for the lowest income households and an increase in resources for households with the highest incomes.

Congresswoman Brown spoke in opposition to the bill on the House floor and before the House Rules Committee. Last week, Brown shared her experience relying on food stamps growing up during Agriculture Committee markup.

Congresswoman Brown releases the following statement: 

“Trump’s Big Ugly Bill is a scam and a rip-off. This legislation, with its cruel cuts to health care and nutrition assistance, will make America poorer, sicker, and more in debt. Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans will lose health care and nutrition benefits if this bill becomes law – all to enrich those at the top.

“Instead of helping people pay the bills, it will raise costs for everyday people. Instead of offering a hand up, it offers a shove down, punishing poverty and limiting opportunity. This isn’t about fiscal responsibility—it’s just a cruel transfer of wealth from those who have the least, to those who have the most. 

“As House Democrats have fought this bill, I’ve been humbled by the stories I’ve heard from Northeast Ohioans – the parents and grandparents trying to care for their families, the people with disabilities worried about their health care, the people struggling just to put food on the table. My constituents are worried and outraged by this bill and they should be. I will not stop fighting for them.”

SNAP CUTS

The Republican Reconciliation Bill includes $300 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, over 50,000 people in OH-11, and over 450,000 Ohioans overall, would be at risk of losing a portion or all of their SNAP benefits under the GOP legislation. Nationwide, 11 million people would be at risk of losing basic nutrition benefits. 

According to the USDA, 21% of households in Congresswoman Brown’s district, OH-11 (75,000 households total) rely on SNAP benefits, including 31% of Black households. The percentage of households in OH-11 that depend on SNAP is the highest for a congressional district in Ohio. 

Congresswoman Brown, Vice Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, submitted an amendment to the Rules Committee (Amendment #33) to rescind the legislation’s harmful new provision which ends SNAP work requirement exemptions for parents with children between the age of 7-18, but Brown’s amendment was blocked by Republicans in the Rules Committee. 

Video: Brown Remarks Before Rules Committee

HEALTH CARE CUTS

The Republican Reconciliation Bill includes drastic cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium assistance. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, nearly 14 million Americans will lose health care coverage due to this bill. Under Ohio law, if federal funding for Medicaid is cut, the state’s Medicaid expansion ends – Ohio’s so-called “trigger law”. This would mean that 770,000 Ohioans would lose Medicaid coverage. Beyond this change, even more Ohioans could lose coverage due to additional cuts to Medicaid and ACA assistance, including 38,000 Ohioans in Brown’s district. 

IRRESPONSIBLE TAX GIVEAWAYS

According to Treasury Department estimates, the tax policies in the bill would give an annual tax cut of $32,118 to the top 1% (income over $750,000) and an annual tax cut of $314,266 to the top 0.1% (income over $3.5 million).  

The median household income in OH-11 is $52,000 per year and 20% of all people are below the poverty line. (Census.gov)

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