Statement: U.S. House of Representatives Passes Bill to Take Away Food, Health Care from Hundreds of Thousands of Virginians

Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP Would Raise Costs on Virginia Families, Blow Hole in State Budget

The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis (TCI) today expressed disappointment with the U.S. House of Representatives’ 215-214 vote to pass a budget reconciliation bill that, if signed into law in its current form, would result in hundreds of thousands of Virginians losing access to food and health care in order to further concentrate wealth into the hands of the wealthiest Americans. 

The bill cuts hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid and SNAP, institutes new barriers and red tape that are designed to throw people off Medicaid, and blows a hole in state budgets by shifting a portion of the cost of SNAP benefits to states for the first time ever. Many working families and individuals who are able to access health care through Medicaid expansion would also be subject to up to $35 co-pays for certain services. 

“This disastrous bill would mean that hundreds of thousands of Virginians lose access to health care and food for their families, and many more will see their health costs go up,” said Ashley Kenneth, President and CEO of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. “It is deeply disappointing that some members of Virginia’s delegation voted for this bill that will dramatically harm Virginia’s communities. You can’t rush to rip over a trillion dollars from programs that help families meet their basic needs without impacting the coverage of seniors, veterans, children with special needs, and families who are paid too little to afford quality care and healthy food. The last-minute, secretive changes made to this bill mean that even more Virginians would lose health care, and the biggest cut to Medicaid in American history would get even bigger. As further details emerge about this bill, and as it moves to the U.S. Senate and back to the House, we urge Virginians to contact their members of Congress to highlight the deep damage that this bill would cause to our communities.”

Nearly 2 million Virginians rely on Medicaid and CHIP for their health care, including 47,000 veterans. 

“As a doctor and a veteran, I’m disappointed that Congresswoman Jen Kiggans voted to support the 2025 House Reconciliation Bill, which will negatively impact my fellow veterans,” said Dr. Joan Lingen, a Navy veteran from Onancock. “When we signed up to serve, we said we were willing to serve, support, and even die for this country. If this bill becomes law, our country will be forcing many veterans to worry about basic survival back home. If Congresswoman Kiggans gets another chance to vote on this bill, I hope she reconsiders her position and changes her vote to no. Tax breaks for the highest income Americans should not come at the expense of Hampton Roads veterans.”

The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate, which has an opportunity to rework the bill in its entirety. If the Senate makes changes, the bill will return to the House for another vote.