Last month, Congress passed a budget reconciliation bill that includes over $1 trillion in cuts to programs that keep our communities healthy and strong – all to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and sweeping, unproductive deportations of everyday working people that will separate families and devastate communities.
All five members of Nebraka’s delegation – Sen. Ricketts, Sen. Fischer, Rep. Flood, Rep. Bacon, and Rep. Smith – voted to advance this destructive agenda, failing communities across our state.
Congress made a mess. Now Nebraska has to deal with it.
The fight now moves to the Nebraska Legislature in 2026. As our communities brace for these devastating cuts, it will be up to our state senators to protect access to essential programs like SNAP and Medicaid during next year’s legislative session.
Nebraska SNAP is in Danger
Every Nebraskan deserves to eat. SNAP improves the health and well-being of 150,000 Nebraskans every year by providing food assistance to people who need it most.
Congress’s reconciliation bill shifted huge, unprecedented costs to our state to cover the program (at least $13 million starting fall of 2026).
The bill also forces new work requirements on several groups of Nebraskans who were previously exempt:
- Older Nebraskans ages 55-64
- Parents of children ages 14 and over
- Former foster youth
- People experiencing homelessness
- Veterans
SNAP is essential. Our State Senators must commit to funding the gap created by Congress in order to keep Nebraska’s current SNAP program intact and implement new work requirements in the least harmful way possible.
Nebraska Medicaid – and Medicaid Expansion – are Under Threat
Every Nebraskan deserves access to affordable health care. Medicaid plays an important role in keeping over 340,000 Nebraskans healthy and insured.
Congress’s reconciliation bill included significant cuts to Medicaid which are estimated to cause up to 55,000 Nebraskans to lose their health care coverage and decrease Nebraska’s federal share of Medicaid costs by up to $4 billion over the next 10 years.
Among other things, this bill specifically attacks Nebraska’s voter-approved Medicaid expansion, which provides coverage to over 65,000 Nebraskans, by imposing work requirements, copays, and more frequent eligibility redeterminations on the Medicaid expansion group.
Medicaid is essential. Our State Senators must commit to ensuring that Nebraskans can access health care through a strong Medicaid program, and commit to implementing work requirements and other changes in the least harmful way possible to prevent even more coverage losses and cuts.
We Need You
Congress’s cuts to essential programs will harm tens of thousands of Nebraskans and their families by stripping away critical access to health care and food if our state legislature, Governor Pillen, and Nebraska DHHS do not act to protect SNAP and Medicaid. Nebraskans across the state will need to work together to ensure that our state mitigates the harm to our friends and neighbors that Congress has caused.
In the coming weeks and months – as we look toward the start of the 2026 Nebraska Legislative Session – we’ll dig deeper into these federal budget cuts, who is most at risk of losing health care access and food support, and how you can help protect these critical programs that are at historic risk. Our work building a just and inclusive Nebraska where everyone can thrive is more important than ever right now.
In the meantime: Find your state senator here, and make sure you’re signed up for our Legislative Update email list here.
Thank you for your advocacy!