April 17, 2023 (New York, NY) – Today, U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, gave a chilling speech to big money donors on Wall Street. He threatened to drive the U.S. back into default unless the White House agrees to federal spending cuts to the social safety net. The programs most at risk are the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which addresses child hunger, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which provides emergency financial support, as well as underhanded cuts to Medicaid through a nefarious strategy of intentionally disqualifying and cutting health access for millions of people. Citizen Action of New York has consistently advocated for greater access to health care for all New Yorkers, because we believe healthcare is a human right.
“Kevin McCarthy is creating class warfare by trying to balance the federal budget on the backs of black, brown and low income communities–and he’s telling Wall Street that the wealthiest Americans will be untouched,” said Rosemary Rivera, Co-Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York. “Medicaid provides coverage to tens of millions of children, senior citizens and people with disabilities. This would cripple our communities and the health care systems it supports. We simply cannot allow the harm that this would cause to occur.”
“As a parent working hard to keep food on the table for my kids, any cuts to SNAP would devastate my family,” Lia Silva, a member of Citizen Action’s Southern Tier chapter. “I work hard everyday and still we barely make it. This would be such a blow to my family and so many families like mine. Congressman Marcus Molinaro needs to stand up and tell his leader that this isn’t going to work for the people of Binghamton.”
“I am an educator, a parent and a part of my community–and I rely on SNAP, TANF and Medicaid to make ends meet,” said Yvonne Griffen, a member of Citizen Action’s Central New York chapter. “Now Congress wants to cut funding for all these programs. That means more poverty here in Syracuse. Is that what Congressman Brandon Williams stands for? We are counting on him to push back against this extremist agenda and protect vulnerable New Yorkers.”
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Citizen Action of New York is a grassroots membership organization with seven regional chapters across New York State. We work on issues important to our communities, including fair elections, equitable school funding, housing for all, environmental justice, and possibilities not punishment.