From DC: Legislation to Gut Medicaid & SNAP, Medicaid Work Requirements, EO Targets

May 2, 2025

From DC is Justice in Aging’s weekly roundup of national news and resources about issues impacting older adults. To receive From DC in your inbox as soon as its published, sign up for our mailing list.

Here’s what we’re watching in Washington:

House Remains Focused on Passing Legislation to Gut Medicaid and SNAP

This week, the Republican leadership and House Committees met behind closed doors to try to reach consensus on their policies to enact the tax and spending cuts outlined in their budget resolution.

While the policy details are still under wraps, the resolution calls for unprecedented cuts of more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and other programs older adults rely on to meet their basic needs, all to finance tax breaks for corporations and the rich and to increase harmful immigration enforcement.

On Thursday, House leaders announced that the Energy & Commerce Committee will delay its hearing to markup the budget legislation that would include Medicaid cuts until the week of May 12th. The Agriculture Committee’s consideration of SNAP cuts is also likely delayed. Nonetheless, Speaker Johnson remains committed to passing a full budget reconciliation bill before Memorial Day.

The delay in the markups is thanks to the relentless efforts of advocates who are making it clear that any cuts to Medicaid or SNAP will take basic health care and food assistance away from older adults, people with disabilities, and their families.

We must continue to share stories and data and ask our members of Congress to hold the line and reject any cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, or other basic needs programs. Meet with your local officials at the city, county, and state levels to educate them on what these programs mean for the older adults you serve, and ask them to relay that message to your Congressional delegation.

Share Justice in Aging’s resources on Medicaid Defense and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ new fact sheet that explains how the combination of cuts would mean higher costs and less help for older adults, 8 million of whom have incomes below the poverty line.

New Analysis Underscores that Medicaid Work Requirements Would Harm Older Adults

Congressional Republicans are crafting a policy to include in the budget reconciliation bill that would cut Medicaid by requiring working-age adults to work a certain number of hours each month to get and maintain coverage. This policy amounts to a job loss penalty, punishing people who lose their jobs or cannot work by taking away their health care.

As our fact sheet explains, work requirements will take away coverage from older adults and people with disabilities who are already working, those who are retired or have difficulty finding work, and family caregivers. Implementing work requirements also delays access to coverage for older adults age 65+ by slowing down program administration, including timely processing of Medicaid applications.

New analysis underscores that women caregivers, many of whom are older themselves and caring for older adults, are at particular risk of having their coverage taken away. Among adults with Medicaid who are not working, 80% are women and 25% are age 50 to 64. The majority of these women left the workforce due to caregiving and have little to no income.

Additional new reports this week estimate the number of people whose Medicaid coverage would be cut under work requirements. According to a report from the Energy & Commerce Committee Democrats, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 2.5 million Medicaid enrollees would have their coverage taken away. And a Commonwealth Fund report provides state-by-state estimates of projected coverage losses, job losses, and economic harm if Congress enacts a nationwide Medicaid work requirement.

New Executive Order Targets Disparate Impact Liability

Last week, the Trump Administration issued a new executive order (EO) seeking to end the use of disparate impact liability under federal anti-discrimination laws.

Disparate impact discrimination occurs when a facially neutral policy or practice results in an unjustified, negative disparate impact on members of a protected class. Disparate impact liability is a key civil rights tool and a longstanding legal theory upheld by courts in various contexts, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act.

Among other directives, the EO instructs federal agencies to 1) deprioritize enforcement actions that rely on disparate impact liability; 2) take steps to change current regulations and guidance incorporating disparate impact liability; and 3) determine whether any federal authorities preempt state laws or policies imposing disparate impact liability.

Justice in Aging will continue to monitor this EO and others for their impacts on older adults.

Read about how recent EOs and federal actions endanger the well-being of older adults and the critical programs they rely on.

According to new analysis by the Urban Institute, disruptions in Social Security benefits would leave about six million people unable to cover their basic monthly living expenses. Social Security benefits financially support retirees, disabled workers, and their dependents.

For the lowest-income beneficiaries, Social Security accounts for about 75% or more of their total income. Many of these households have little savings to rely on if benefit payments were to be interrupted.

Recent actions by the Trump Administration threaten access to Social Security for older adults and others. To stop unlawful cuts to Social Security services, Justice in Aging, along with co-counsel Brown Goldstein & Levy LLP, filed a lawsuit last month against the Social Security Administration (SSA) and DOGE.

The lawsuit alleges that mass staffing reductions, policies requiring individuals to seek services in-person, and the elimination of critical offices within SSA unlawfully harm older adults and people with disabilities.

Read more about the lawsuit and plaintiffs, and check out our fact sheet on why Social Security is Vital to Americans Nationwide.