Politicians and several nonprofits that advocate for those affected by poverty urged Alabama’s congressional delegation to vote against the budget reconciliation bill under consideration in the U.S. Senate.
Speaking at a press conference Thursday at the Alabama Statehouse, representatives from Alabama Arise and the Alabama Poor People’s Campaign said proposed reductions to Medicaid and food assistance would make it more difficult for state residents to have access to food and health care.
“This budget is not just a spreadsheet of numbers, it is a moral document,” said Rev. Valtoria Jackson, Montgomery lead organizer for the Alabama Poor People’s Campaign. “And in its current form it will deepen poverty, strip vital support from our most vulnerable neighbors and cost lives right here in Alabama.”
The House of Representatives passed the measure by the narrowest of margins in May. The Senate has taken it under consideration. President Donald Trump has said he wants it passed before the July 4 holiday.