The following letter went to my rep in the House:
Dear Representative Huizenga,
As a Christian, I believe we are called to help the poor. There is no reason that people should die from poverty in our rich and generous nation. Despite this, the House Budget Resolution that just passed calls for cutting Medicaid and SNAP in exchange for tax cuts for corporations and billionaires, putting poor people at risk. The proposed cuts will take assistance away from millions of people, particularly older Americans, children, and the disabled community. There are more than 68,000 people in our own 4th district using SNAP and 23% of the population in Michigan is covered by Medicaid as of August 2024. Cutting these programs would hurt the people you are elected to represent. Further, a January 2025 poll from KFF shows that 79% of the American public thinks we currently spend the right amount or not enough on Medicaid. Only 19% believe we spend too much. Making cuts is not what your constituents want.
However, Congress is proposing to use these cuts to offset trillions of dollars of new or extended tax cuts for billionaires and corporations. It is unacceptable and morally wrong to steal from the poor to give to the rich. Please vote NO on any future reconciliation bill that will restrict access or make cuts to healthcare and food assistance! I urge you to stop all attempts to steal from the government programs that support us all, including our lowest-income neighbors and friends, to pay for tax cuts for the rich. I urge you to oppose all attempts to restrict access to healthcare and food assistance and to vote NO on any future budget reconciliation bill that cuts Medicaid and/or SNAP!
Sincerely,
Rev. Kenneth Arthur
Rep. Huizenga’s generic same-day response. We’ll see how he votes on the upcoming budget bill.
Dear Mr. Arthur,
Thank you for contacting me regarding Medicaid. I always appreciate hearing from constituents and welcome this opportunity to respond.
I believe policymakers in Washington should be looking for bipartisan solutions to increase the well-being of Americans, promote upward mobility, and improve outcomes for families. Critical programs like Medicaid should continue to support Americans, especially those mothers, children, disabled, blind, and others who need it most. Please rest assured, I will keep your thoughts in mind should any legislation affecting Medicaid come before the House Floor for a vote.
Throughout my time in Congress, I have supported numerous pieces of bipartisan legislation that provide Medicaid patients with better access to quality care. Most recently, I supported H.R. 8108, the Care for Military Kids Act, when it passed the House in September 2024. This legislation would ensure children of our servicemembers remain eligible for state-administered Medicaid long-term care wherever they may relocate during their family’s service. Additionally last year, I helped pass H.R. 8111, the Medicaid Improvement Act to improve uninterrupted and timely access to Medicaid services, as well as H.R. 3836, the Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act to expand Medicaid patients’ access to direct primary care. I am proud that legislation like this could be used to help Medicaid patients receive more proactive healthcare, thereby reducing emergency room costs.
I am always on the lookout for legislation that offers commonsense reforms to our larger healthcare system. For example, I recently supported the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, which passed the House last Congress by a bipartisan vote of 320-71. This legislation is reform-oriented legislation designed to empower patients and employers through price transparency measures, address the cost of prescription drugs, and support patients, healthcare workers, and providers.
Again, I appreciate you contacting me, and please do not hesitate to do so in the future. To stay up to date with the latest news on our work in Congress, you may sign up at huizenga.house.gov/forms/emailsignup to receive my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
Bill Huizenga
Member of Congress
I received a second response from Huizenga’s office of February 28, which I can only assume is also a response to this letter.
Dear Mr. Arthur,
Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts on funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the upcoming Farm Bill. I always appreciate hearing from constituents and welcome this opportunity to respond.
I voted for the 2018 Farm Bill, which modernized and reauthorized SNAP. One common sense reform included in the previous Farm Bill authorized online grocery purchases. Congress can play an important role in alleviating hunger, supporting farmers, and promoting self-sufficiency for Americans in need through programs like SNAP. My colleagues and I in Congress are working to reauthorize these key programs within the Farm Bill for 2025 and beyond. I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind should this, or any legislation related to the well-being of Southwest Michigan families, come before the House for a vote.
Again, I appreciate you contacting me, and please do not hesitate to do so in the future. To stay up to date with the latest news on our work in Congress, you may sign up at huizenga.house.gov/forms/emailsignup to receive my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
Bill Huizenga
Member of Congress