The U.S. social safety net would be jolted if the budget bill backed by President Donald Trump and passed Thursday by the House of Representatives becomes law.
It would require many low-income adults to work to receive Medicaid health insurance coverage and more to work to get food assistance, require hospitals to verify the citizenship status of patients, and cut funding for services like birth control to the nation’s biggest abortion provider.
Supporters of the bill say the moves will save money, root out waste and encourage personal responsibility.
A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade.
The food assistance one is especially dumb because it is already set up so that if you work they reduce the amount of food assistance you get, based on your income. So forcing work requirements in tandem with the existing rules will do nothing but reduce access.
Of course, that’s the point. They only “save” money if they are reducing the amount spent, and work requirements will absolutely reduce the amount going out.
Although I would argue the bureaucratic overhead required to check on employment status will offset most of the savings.
It probably makes too much sense to say anyone that applies gets it and if your next tax return shows you didn’t actually need it then you have to pay it back.