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WATCH: Georgia State Representatives Park and Berry, POC’s Joe Miller Discuss Impact of Trump’s Health Care, Food Assistance Cuts on Georgians

By August 6, 2025No Comments

Rep. Berry: “This budget doesn’t just fail an economic test. It fails a moral one as well […] As an educator, I believe that every child deserves to be fed, to be nurtured, to be seen, and I refuse to stand by while their basic needs are sacrificed for billionaire tax breaks.”


Today, Georgia State Representatives Sam Park and Bryce Berry, as well as Protect Our Care Deputy Research Director Joe Miller, joined Defend America Action for a press call to discuss the devastating impacts the Trump-backed Republican cuts to health care and food assistance are having on their constituents.

The speakers highlighted how Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans’ budget will do immeasurable harm to their communities, particularly those experiencing poverty and families who depend on basic needs programs like free school lunches.

“HR 1 is the most dangerous rollback of healthcare in a generation. It would gut Medicaid, drive up healthcare insurance premiums for hardworking Georgia families, and threaten the survival of hospitals across the state, especially in rural Georgia. With respect to Medicaid, we’re looking at approximately a $2.29 billion cut. Over 310,000 Georgians are projected to lose health insurance by 2030 and Georgia already has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country. That’s led to us having some of the worst health outcomes under Republican leadership for more than a decade,” said Georgia State Representative and Democratic Caucus Whip Sam Park. “And of course, if Congress fails to renew or fails to address the ACA’s enhanced tax credits that are set to expire at the end of this year, we’re talking about having more than 750,000 Georgians losing access to health care. These aren’t just big numbers on paper. We’re talking about people. We’re talking mothers, seniors, children, people with disabilities losing access to health care.”

“Families are under attack again by a reckless and cruel federal budget pushed by a president and his congressional enablers, and they’re trying to pay for it on the backs of working families in Georgia by raising costs and taking away health care and slash school lunches for our children. This isn’t just wrong, it’s dangerous,” said Georgia State Representative Bryce Berry. “This will create a $6 billion hole in our state’s budget over the next decade. That’s money we need for our hospitals, clinics, home care and health providers, and it will cause more than 1.2 million Georgians that will see their premiums go up and their out of pocket costs skyrocket. These are people who already live paycheck to paycheck, and now they’ll be forced to choose between medicine or rent […] This budget doesn’t just fail an economic test. It fails a moral one as well. Because a society that turns its back on the hungry, on the poor, the vulnerable, is a society that has lost its soul. As an educator, I believe that every child deserves to be fed, to be nurtured, to be seen, and I refuse to stand by while their basic needs are sacrificed for billionaire tax breaks.”

“An estimated 650,000 Georgians will lose Medicaid or ACA coverage and become uninsured under this Big, Ugly Bill. Republicans have broken the promises they make to the American people to address the cost of living so they could cut taxes for the ultra wealthy. Instead, they rushed through reckless legislation that rips health care away from millions and raises costs on millions more,” said Protect Our Care Deputy Research Director Joe Miller. “The consequences of Republicans’ health care cuts will be long lasting, but the pain starts in just a few months when families see their costs spike and millions begin losing coverage. In a matter of weeks, 24 million Americans who buy insurance on their own will see their premiums skyrocket, and families will pay up to 90% more for their health care while billionaires and CEOs will get a huge tax break.”

BACKGROUND

THE GOP BUDGET SLASHES HEALTH CARE AND FOOD ASSISTANCE TO PAY FOR TAX BREAKS FOR BILLIONAIRES: Congressional Republicans rammed an unpopular, unaffordable tax break for the wealthiest people in the country through Congress, and they’re paying for it by raising costs, taking away health care, and slashing school lunches for working families.

  • COSTS GOING UP WHILE BILLIONAIRE TAXES GO DOWN: Democrats released a nonpartisan CBO analysis confirming Republicans’ plan will raise health care costs for working families and take away Medicaid from millions of people, all to pay for a massive tax break for the ultra-wealthy.

  • THE GOP BUDGET WILL SLASH HEALTH CARE ACCESS: Trump and Republicans’ budget will kick more than 15 million Americans off health care in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires – even though just 9 percent of Georgia voters support cuts to Medicaid. This will create at least a $6 billion hole over 10 years in the Georgia state budget and cause premium costs and out-of-pocket costs to rise for over 1.2 million Georgians.

    • This bill works to remove as many Medicaid recipients as possible under the guise of “work requirements.” In reality, virtually all Medicaid recipients work.
  • FOOD ASSISTANCE SLASHED: Trump and Republicans’ budget cuts free and reduced-cost school meals, Meals on Wheels and the nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children. They’re putting food assistance at risk for over 500,000 Georgia households across the state.
    • This bill amounts to the largest cuts to food assistance in history. Republicans’ bill will also enact new unnecessary burdens for older Americans and families with children applying for basic needs programs, while freezing future benefit increases that help households adjust to rising food costs.

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