LAS VEGAS – Nevadans who rely on Medicaid, food assistance and other lifesaving programs will soon be in a world of hurt. That’s because anti-union members of Congress have rammed the so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” through Congress.
Members of AFSCME Local 4041, local advocates and elected officials gathered last week to highlight the impact of the new law on Nevadans and the state’s budget.
The state faces huge cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These programs assist low-income Nevadans with health care and food assistance. More than 27% of Nevada’s revenue comes from federal funding, especially Medicaid.
AFSCME members shared how the cuts to critical services they provide — all to give the largest tax break for billionaires in history — will hurt Nevada. More than 95,271 Nevadans could lose lifesaving health care and 109,000 could lose critical food benefits.
“Every day, I help working families figure out how they're going to make it through another day. And every single time someone qualifies, you can see the relief light up in their face. Even if it's just a little support, it can help families make up for what they can't cover with their jobs,” said Yolanda Kemp, a family support specialist.
“Cuts to SNAP will hurt the families you may know, the seniors in your neighborhood, the single-parent family who lives next door, your co-workers, maybe even your children's teachers or coaches,” said Kemp.
Benita Lopez is a social worker for the federally funded Home and Community Based Services Program for the state of Nevada.
“The cuts to Medicaid in the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will directly impact elderly Nevadans and their families that rely on these essential services. Because Congress chose to cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and health care, they should have called the bill ‘Bodies Benefitting Billionaires’ because people will die. It’s that simple,” she said.
“Supporters of these cuts to Medicaid keep saying they want to cut waste and fraud, but what they really mean is people. These cuts are the difference between life and death for the people who need these essential programs,” Lopez added.
AFSCME members also talked about the thousands of Nevada jobs that this handout for billionaires has put at risk.
"When Medicaid cuts hit our communities, these cuts threaten our jobs as public employees. And if public service jobs are cut, not only will the families we work with lose much needed services, but they will also lose advocates like me who help them navigate the complex web of available resources,” said Maria Jacobi, a developmental specialist.
AFSCME members are on the front lines of fighting back against cuts to public services stemming from this cruel bill. In a harsh irony, the bill was signed into law on Independence Day.
“Cutting public services to give billionaires tax cuts is so anti-American. That’s not what we are about as public employees, and that’s not what we are about as AFSCME members,” Jacobi said. “I am proud to join my fellow union members in fighting back against cuts to public services, and I urge my fellow AFSCME Nevada members to join us in the fight.”
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