Moskowitz Calls for Up or Down Vote to Protect Medicaid and Food Assistance Programs

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23) signed a discharge petition to force a Congressional vote on protecting Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from harmful cuts sought by the House Republican majority. If signed by a majority of members, the measure would specifically require the U.S. House of Representatives to take a vote on the Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act, which prohibits House Republicans from using their reconciliation process to cut benefits or remove individuals from Medicaid and SNAP.

As House Republicans consider their reconciliation bill, they intend to cut at least $230 billion from programs overseen by the House Committee on Agriculture—including SNAP—and at least $880 billion from programs overseen by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce—including Medicaid. 90,000 Floridians in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District rely on Medicaid for lifesaving health care, and 330,000 Floridians in the district rely on SNAP to put food on the table.

“As House Republicans try to push their disastrous reconciliation bill over the finish line, they’ve been meeting behind closed doors to cut $880 billion from Medicaid and $230 billion from SNAP. So much for their Golden Age of transparency,” said Congressman Moskowitz. “That’s why I signed onto a discharge petition to force a vote that’ll get them on the record on our Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act. It’ll clarify once and for all whether they’ll stand with working families to protect these programs or cut the lifelines that tens of thousands of Florida families rely on.”

Moskowitz was one of the first members of the U.S. House to come out against Republicans’ reconciliation plan. Earlier this Congress, he introduced an amendment to Republicans’ government funding bill that would have stipulated it did not give the President authority to reduce funding for Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. House Republicans blocked the effort, and Moskowitz voted against the bill due to its lack of protections for the benefit programs.

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