WATCH: Davids Slams Extreme GOP Budget That Slashes Health Care and Food to Fund Billionaire Tax Breaks

Last night, during a U.S. House Agriculture Committee markup, Representative Sharice Davids spoke out against President Trump and U.S. House Republicans’ extreme budget proposal, which would slash Medicaid and take food off Kansans’ tables — all to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. Davids noted the reckless proposal comes as families are struggling with higher costs caused by Trump’s reckless tariffs.

House Republicans are pushing a budget that would make the largest cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in American history — all to fund over $1 trillion in tax giveaways for billionaires. These extreme cuts would gut programs that help Kansans afford food and stay healthy. 

Cuts to Health Care: A nonpartisan analysis estimates that 13.7 million Americans would lose health coverage with this bill. In total, more than 61,000 Kansans in Kansas’ Third District — including more than 41,000 children and 11,000 seniors — are at risk of losing coverage. Finally, Medicaid cuts would lead to more hospital closures, reduced services, and worse care for all Kansas families, especially in rural communities where 82 percent of hospitals operate at a loss.

Cuts to Food Access: In Kansas’ Third District alone, 8,000 households could lose access to the emergency food assistance they rely on through this bill. Also, up to 27,000 grocery stores nationwide may be forced to close due to lost revenue, worsening food deserts, especially in rural communities. Finally, cutting SNAP at these levels would reduce farm income by more than $30 billion and threaten good-paying jobs.

Read a full transcript of Davids’ remarks below:

“Thank you, Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Craig.

“Right now, families in Kansas and across the country are feeling the pinch of rising costs – in large part due to the administration’s reckless policies.

“Prices are up, retirement savings are down, tariffs are impacting farmers, and for many, one unexpected bill could push them into crisis. This is not the time to pull the rug out from under folks who are doing their best to make ends meet.

“Yet that’s exactly what this partisan Republican budget proposes: deep, harmful cuts to programs like Medicaid and food assistance — programs that help people stay afloat when times are tough.

“Republicans have said their goal is to secure $1 trillion in federal cuts. But nonpartisan experts have said they can’t reach that goal without taking health care and food away from millions of parents, kids, seniors, pregnant women, veterans, and people with disabilities.

“Look, I’m all for improving government efficiency and fiscal responsibility. But this budget proposal pushed by the Trump Administration has real consequences. 

“It includes cuts that could force rural hospitals to close. Cuts that would mean empty dinner plates for families already struggling. But don’t take it from me — take it from Robert in Louisburg, Kansas, who wrote to my office. 

“He said, and I quote: ‘To pay for massive tax giveaways to billionaires and wealthy corporations, these budget proposals would slash programs that help everyday families afford food, health care, child care, housing, education, and more.’

“He continued by saying: ‘Families shouldn’t have to take hit after hit while billionaires get even more tax breaks. Enough is enough.’

“I couldn’t agree more, Robert.

“This budget doesn’t rein in waste. It doesn’t close corporate loopholes. It doesn’t go after fraud. What it does is protect tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations — and asks struggling families to foot the bill. And on top of that, it would likely add hundreds of billions to the deficit.

“I was raised by a single mom who served in the Army. My brothers and I know what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck. I know what these programs mean for families like mine. We should be working to make them stronger and fairer — not slashing them to reward the wealthiest among us.

“Kansans deserve smart policies that protect our economy, support hardworking people, and actually reduce fraud and waste — not rushed cuts that leave our communities hungrier, sicker, and further behind.

“I would urge my colleagues, and in this instance, actually plead with my colleagues to please reject these reckless cuts. This body can do better than what we’ve been seeing.

“Thank you, and I yield back.”