Urgent! Tell Congress: Oppose the Big Beautiful Bill

H.R. 1 , or the "Big Beautiful Bill" passed out of the Senate today on a 50/50 vote, with Vice President Vance providing the tie-breaking vote. It now goes back to the House of Representatives for a final vote, as soon as in the next few days. Now is a critical moment to contact your Congressional Representative in the House and urge them to vote No on this bill which would have devastating effects on Arizonans.

Many harmful components to Medicaid are still in this version of the bill, including adding work requirements, and provisions that negatively impact eligibility and enrollment. The bill would cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid. 

Act now! The House is expected to start voting on the reconciliation bill at 9:00 am (EDT) Wednesday, July 2.

Scripture teaches us to “Do right, seek justice, defend the oppressed" (Isaiah 1:17). Call your lawmakers today to share what matters to you most and urge them to vote NO on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Share why you care about protecting SNAP and Medicaid, such as how it has benefited your family or community, or how your faith or values call you to act.

The House of Representatives is about to vote on the Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which significantly cuts Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), critical clean energy investments, and restricts access to the Child Tax Credit all while extending trillions of dollars of tax breaks for the wealthy, pouring money into erratic deportation and family separation, and further bloating the Pentagon budget. This is the last chance: Tell Congress to reject this legislation!

This bill includes the largest cuts to SNAP and Medicaid in history. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it would cause more than 16 million people to lose their health insurance and take away food assistance from nearly 3 million people. The bill shifts big SNAP costs onto states. It dramatically cuts investments in clean energy and will raise energy costs for families across the country.

Medicaid provides health coverage for more than 70 million people, including 2 in 5 births. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supports more than 40 million people at risk of food insecurity. The expansion of clean energy tax credits in 2022 created more than 400,000 jobs nationwide. Rather than cutting Medicaid, SNAP, and clean energy investments to fund unnecessary tax cuts for the wealthy and harsh deportation and deploying the military throughout the border and interior, Congress should be focused on policies that will strengthen communities and support family flourishing.

This will be a close vote. It’s important that your representatives hear from you about these priorities. Use your voice and tell the House not to cut SNAP, Medicaid, and clean energy investments while pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into tearing families and communities apart and giving away huge new tax cuts for the wealthiest in our country.

• CD01 Rep. David Schweikert (202) 225-2190

• CD02 Rep. Eli Crane (202) 225-3361

• CD03 Rep. Yassamin Ansari (202) 225-4065

• CD04 Rep. Greg Stanton (202) 225-9888

• CD05 Rep. Andy Biggs (202) 225-2635

• CD06 Rep. Juan Ciscomani (202) 225-2542

• CD07 (vacant)

• CD08 Abraham Hamadeh (202) 225-4576

• CD09 Paul Gosar (202) 225-2315

+++Lutheran Services in America created a form letter as an easy way to contact your Representative. Click here to be directed to their page where you will enter your address and then be directed to a form letter.

+++If you have a few moments, a more effective form of communication is to call, or write a personalized email. To find your representative and contact information for them, you can click here.

SNAP Effects

This bill forces states with already overstretched budgets to make impossible trade-offs, such as reducing public services, raising taxes, or cutting SNAP access for some or all. Beginning in 2028, states will be required for the first time to cover a share of SNAP food benefits, in addition to shouldering increased administrative costs. This unprecedented cost-shift will require states to come up with millions of additional dollars to keep the program running. Twenty-three states, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nebraska, and others are warning they may not be able to fully fund SNAP without major cuts to other critical programs if this bill becomes law.  

The implications of this bill will not end with SNAP. Child nutrition programs such as school meals and Summer EBT will suffer as well, and in some states, that has already happened. Texas recently announced opting out of the Summer EBT Program in 2027, denying thousands of children critical food benefits during the summer because of concerns over upcoming state obligations to cover SNAP costs. Cuts to SNAP will also weaken the direct pathway to free school meals for many students, increase the administrative burden on schools, as they will be forced to process more school meal applications, and reduce the number of schools able to serve free meals to all their students through the Community Eligibility Provision. 

The bill also expands time limits for adults, including parents of children ages 14 and older, and eliminates exemptions for caregivers. This only makes it harder for individuals, especially single parents, grandparents raising their grandchildren, older adults, and unpaid caregivers, to qualify for food assistance. While supporters of this bill claim these types of provisions promote work, they come with no funding for states to help people access jobs or training. Time limits make it harder for people with low incomes to access the benefits that they need, increase administrative burden and costs to state agencies, and disproportionately harm women and people of color in low-paying jobs. The bill also strips SNAP eligibility from some lawfully present immigrants, including asylees and refugees, who fled persecution and are trying to rebuild their lives from nothing.  

Families will suffer, and so will our economy. Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates up to $1.80 in local economic activity during an economic downturn, helping everyone in the supply chain from farmers to grocery stores. Without SNAP customers, retailers lose revenue, farmers take a hit, and grocery workers risk job loss. The loss of SNAP revenue could result in increased costs at grocery stores and store closures — at a time when food insecurity has increased three years in a row and grocery store prices are increasing faster than average. 

The consequences are too serious to ignore. The House must reject this bill and instead protect SNAP and other programs that are critical to building a nation free from hunger.