Policy & Advocacy
Backgrounder on Importance of the Social Safety Net, February 2018
Backgrounder on Importance of the Social Safety Net, February 2018
The USCCB warns that the 2017 tax reform’s projected $1.5 trillion deficit over 2018–2027 could be used to justify deep cuts to anti‑poverty programs while defense and immigration spending rise. This backgrounder urges Congress to protect the social safety net rather than respond to deficits by reducing assistance that serves poor and vulnerable people. The bishops link program funding to moral obligation: protecting human dignity and assisting those who are most vulnerable. They emphasize that supporting farmers and conservation advances long‑term food security and stewardship.
Main concerns
- Health care: Medicare and Medicaid are at risk from deficit‑driven cuts or restructuring. Medicare enrollment is rising (44 million now, projected 79 million by 2030), and prior proposals threatened steep reductions (hundreds of billions over a decade) that would endanger coverage for millions.
- Hunger and nutrition: Millions rely on SNAP, TEFAP, and related programs; the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization makes protecting nutrition funding urgent. USDA programs that support farmers and ecological stewardship (EQIP, RCPP, CRP, ACEP) are essential to food security.
- Affordable housing: The nation faces a shortage of low‑cost rental units. Low‑Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) finance most new affordable housing, but the corporate tax cut reduced the credits’ value and could shrink investor demand, threatening new housing development. Tenant‑based rental assistance must also be protected.
USCCB recommendations
- Preserve funding for Medicare and Medicaid programs that ensure health coverage for millions.
- Protect and fully fund nutrition programs such as SNAP, TEFAP, and related USDA supports, especially during Farm Bill reauthorization.
- Safeguard and strengthen affordable housing tools, including measures to restore LIHTC effectiveness and preserve tenant‑based rental assistance.