By State Representative Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta)
(537 words)
We just concluded Georgia’s state budget process—one where I fought to protect and fully fund critical programs like PeachCare, SNAP, school lunches and other vital lifelines for our most vulnerable families. But let’s be clear: balancing the federal budget by slashing Medicaid, SNAP and housing aid is not sound policy—it is economic sabotage and moral injustice.
Federal dollars are the foundation of many state services. In 2022, federal funds made up more than 36 percent of Georgia’s state revenue—$23.4 billion supporting our schools, healthcare, food programs and safety nets. Without these dollars, our ability to care for Georgians unravels.
And right now, that foundation is under attack.
Congress is considering Trump’s proposed budget that would slash $300 billion from SNAP—forcing states like Georgia to shoulder costs we’ve never borne before. It would gut healthcare for 14 million Americans, destabilize hospitals and community health centers and introduce punitive work-reporting red tape designed to strip people of care.
We’ve already seen how this story ends. Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage program—a bureaucratic nightmare—spent more than 90 percent of its budget on paperwork and consultants. Only about 7,000 people have enrolled out of 175,000 who need coverage. This is not governance; it’s gatekeeping.
Let’s talk numbers—and lives.
- Medicaid covers nearly 2 million Georgians, including 40 percent of our children and nearly half of all births.
- SNAP feeds families in a state where one in five children face hunger. Nearly 47 percent of participants are children; 28 percent are seniors or people with disabilities.
- Federal support powers our rural health clinics, sustains families on the edge and gives working Georgians a chance to make it through.
These programs are not just compassionate—they’re smart economics. They reduce ER visits, improve maternal outcomes, lift communities and bolster local economies. Gutting them isn’t fiscal responsibility—it’s a reckless gamble with people’s lives.
As a legislator, I’ve heard from Georgians who depend on these programs to survive. A mother in rural Georgia who juggles three jobs but still can’t afford childcare without support, a lupus warrior who needs consistent access to medication through Medicaid and a senior veteran who fought for our country but faces eviction without housing assistance — these are not anomalies; they are warning signs.
So, what must Congress do?
- Reject the Trump budget’s proposed cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and housing assistance.
- Eliminate red tape like work-reporting barriers that punish the poor instead of helping them.
- Increase targeted federal investment in Georgia’s most vulnerable communities—especially rural areas, the disabled and the working poor.
Georgia is resilient, but resilience doesn’t replace resources. We need federal partners, not federal punishment.
Budgets are moral documents. They reveal not just what we value—but who we value.
Congress must choose people over politics, families over fiscal fear mongering and future over failure.
Georgia is watching.
We need a budget that reflects our values. A budget that feeds children, houses families and heals communities—not one that writes off millions in the name of austerity.
As leaders, we are judged not by what we save, but by who we serve. Georgia needs Congress to stand up—not stand down. The future of all families depends on it.
Representative Kim Schofield represents the citizens of District 63, which includes a portion of Fulton County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves as Secretary of the Urban Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Creative Arts & Entertainment, Health, Industry and Labor and Small Business Development committees.
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