The House recently passed its budget, setting the stage for a regressive, harmful set of tax cuts for those who don’t need them, paid for by cuts to bedrock programs like Medicaid and SNAP. The reconciliation process itself can be confusing, and no bill has yet been written or passed. The real work to stop these draconian measures starts from here.
What happened?
Congress is using a budget process known as reconciliation to avoid a Senate filibuster. Reconciliation can be used to pass certain tax and spending legislation, and through this process only a simple majority is needed in the Senate. The budget passage itself is just a blueprint that sets tax and spending targets for specific committees.
The implications of the budget blueprint that was just adopted is extremely concerning. Based on the different targets, we can anticipate legislation that will include tax cuts for the extremely wealthy that would be paid for by slashing Medicaid and SNAP, among other important programs. The blueprint would also include massive spending on unproductive enforcement of long-outdated immigration laws that would harm local neighbors, entire communities, and the workforce.
What’s next?
From here Congress will have to draft detailed legislation on how to make tax, spending and other changes that would then require passage by both houses. This means it is crucial to weigh in with our delegation, and tell them to reject this harmful proposal that will cut critical and essential programs, harming Nebraska families and communities across the state. We will be closely tracking the development of the legislation and will provide opportunities for engagement as things unfold.