Democrats unveil efforts to protect low-income Americans, in latest rebuke to Trump
By Phil McCausland
Senate Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday aimed to bolster poverty prevention programs and contrast their priorities with those of the White House, a day after the Trump administration shared a budget proposal that would cut hundreds of billions of dollars from entitlement programs and cause millions of Americans to lose access to benefits such as Medicaid and food stamps.
Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Sherrod Brown of Ohio shared the bill, co-signed by 10 of their colleagues, that they hope will strengthen the ability of Americans in need to build savings while using federal assistance programs.
The Trump administration's changes will reduce states' ability to waive asset limits in some cases that knock people off the rolls of programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Supplemental Security Income and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. The Democrat's proposal would eliminate or raise those limits for having savings or other resources above a certain level
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Rep. T.J. Cox, D-Calif., is introducing the bill in the House — where it will see a longer life, put additional pressure on Republicans in the Senate if it is passed and challenge the administration on its cuts to entitlement programs.
“Protecting social safety net programs shouldn’t be a partisan exercise, but when this administration accelerates its devastating campaign to dismantle protections for hard-working Americans — by cutting Medicaid, Social Security, SNAP, and more — Congress must be willing to use every tool in the box to save and improve our critical lifeline programs,” Cox said.
Coons and other Democrats maintained that their intention is beyond politics and messaging, however, and they only hope to rebuild these programs that are intended to pull people from poverty.
“These programs make a difference,” Coons said, “and they’re worth fighting for.”
See Rep. Cox's release from earlier today here
The ASSET Act is endorsed by the Alliance to End Hunger, Bread for the World, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Children’s HealthWatch, Coalition on Human Needs, Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), First Focus Campaign for Children, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Women’s Law Center, Prosperity Now, UnidosUS, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
The bill text is available here
A bill summary and testimonials from supporting human services organizations are available here