Federal tax overhaul puts Ohio kids at risk
Posted January 29, 2018 in Press Releases
New Policy Matters fact sheets show what’s at stake
This year, the federal tax overhaul becomes the law of the land. Experts estimate that over 10 years, it will add $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit. As lawmakers look for programs to cut to offset the costs, children could find themselves caught in the crosshairs.
President Trump and congressional leaders already outlined their top priorities for budget cuts in the president’s budget blueprint and the congressional budget resolution that paved the way for the federal tax overhaul. In 2018, they would slash Medicaid, Medicare and other health care programs by as much as $1.8 trillion. Income support programs like the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, would lose billions. Even under current budget rules the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides housing aid for low-income families, will lose hundreds of millions of dollars, but the President’s proposed budget would cut it by billions. These programs build the foundation of a decent society that protects its most vulnerable members: children.
Throughout Ohio, children rely on SNAP for healthy meals, Medicaid for health care and federally subsidized housing for shelter. Policy Matters has created fact sheets for each congressional district and two interactive maps to show the number of children who rely on federal support to meet basic needs.
“Ultimately, members of Congress will determine what programs to cut, and we hope they make their decisions with children in mind,” said Policy Matters Senior Project Director Wendy Patton. “We created the maps and fact sheets so advocates, activists and everyday Ohioans can easily see how many children are at risk in their county or district. We hope this data will arm them to reach out to their representatives and let them know that kids must be protected.”
Download kidsfactsheetsprjan2018.pdf