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POLICY INSIGHT
BEYOND THE NUMBERS

House Republican Budget Cuts Low- and Moderate-Income Programs by Two-Fifths by 2026

The House Republican budget, which could come to the House floor in April, would prove especially harmful to low- and moderate-income families and individuals, cutting programs for such people by an unprecedented amount while taking a strikingly unbalanced approach to deficit reduction, as we explain in a new paper.  It also would be inconsistent with statements of Republican leaders like House Speaker Paul Ryan that reducing poverty is a top priority.

Specifically, the plan, which the House Budget Committee approved on March 16, would cut programs for low- and moderate-income people by about $3.7 trillion over the next decade, including:

  • Some $2.9 trillion in health care cuts for low- and moderate-income people;
  • More than $150 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps);
  • Almost $500 billion in cuts in other entitlements for low-income Americans, including deep cuts in higher education aid; and 
  • About $100 billion in cuts to low-income non-defense discretionary programs.

In 2026, it would cut such programs overall by 42 percent — causing tens of millions of people to lose health coverage and millions to lose basic food or other support (see chart).