Advocates for low-income and disabled Tennesseans sounded the alarm Tuesday over federal legislation that could slash an estimated $1.1 trillion over the next decade from federal safety net programs that provide food and health care to millions of Americans.
The package includes a $600 billion reduction in federal Medicaid spending over 10 years, impacting TennCare, Tennessee’s program, which currently covers health care costs of 1.4 million people, including two of every five children in the state.
It also includes nearly $300 million in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as “food stamps,” which helps more than 700,000 Tennesseans buy food. Some savings from food assistance cuts would then be used to increase farm subsidies. Both programs would establish new work requirements for adult recipients.
Tennessee counties stand to lose a net $5.3 billion in federal help over 10 years if Congress approves the cuts even with increases in farm subsidies, one recent analysis found.
Jeannine Carpenter, chief communications officer for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, warned the proposed cuts to food assistance would create a surge in hunger among Tennessee families.