SNAP Coalition Meeting Tues 5/27; U.S. House Guts SNAP & Ongoing Phone Banking; State Budget Updates

Let’s just name it. This was a hard morning to wake up to the news that the U.S. Congress passed early this morning a horrendous House Reconciliation Budget that will slash and burn SNAP, Medicaid, and other critical safety net benefits to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and wealthy corporations. From our national partners, see FRAC statement from Crystal FitzSimons and CBPP statement from Sharon Parrot. But it is important to remember that the House vote was just 215 to 214, and the battle now shifts to the U.S. Senate. Please take a moment to rest, be with family and friends this weekend. And note, our entire MA House Delegation voted NO! So please THANK them! And join us for more phone banking to swing states (see below.)

SNAP Coalition AGENDA - May 27th, 10 to 11 AM

• Federal update on House Reconciliation budget and next steps in the Senate (see phone banking below)
• State budget: FY26 Budget Update - Amendments adopted in Senate deliberations this week, and FY25 supplemental budget & focus on replacing stolen SNAP.
• DTA policy updates: SUN Bucks, the SNAP 3-month time limit (see MLRI ABAWD Guide here), access issues, and more.
• Announcements

Senate Actions on FY26 State Budget

The last few days the MA Senate deliberated the FY26 Senate budget. As of this 11 AM the majority of the Senate FY budget amendments have been taken up, adopted, rejected or withdrawn. The Senate will likely finish up deliberations today. On the good news front, the final Senate Budget includes $25M for the HIP program,$500K for the Hunger Free Campus Initiatives, preservation of the FY25 cash grant increase for TAFDC and EAEDC cash assistance benefits that increased by 10% on April 1, 2025, and provides TAFDC pregnancy benefits from onset of pregnancy. Distressingly, the Senate did not include funds to replace stolen SNAP benefits.

The next step for the FY26 Budget process is the Conference Committee where the House and Senate reconcile their differences. Please join us at Coalition on Tuesday to learn more about next steps to advocate on this front!

Protect SNAP and Medicaid: Phone Banking to Swing States Next Week:

MLRI and Make Hunger History are continuing to collaborate with Field First, SEIU and Healthcare for All to join their phone banking efforts to stop the GOP’s draconian cuts to nutrition and health care programs. The phone banking effort is now pivoting to reach targeted voters in the U.S. Senate. Here’s two SNAP/Medicaid phone banking sessions:

• Tuesday, May 27 from 5-6:30pm
• Wednesday, May 28 from 11 am -12:30pm

Here is a link to sign up - and feel free to share with your networks. And we will let you know as we organize more sessions in early June! The phone banking starts with a short zoom training, a call script and how the SEIU hub dialer works. The outbound calls are done automatically, after the voter picks up and you give your rap, you can patch willing constituents directly into the Senator’s DC office (and your personal phone number will not appear). It’s easy and also VERY satisfying!

Hang in there, it’s a marathon, not a sprint!