On June 16, the Senate Finance Committee released its version of the budget reconciliation bill with notable changes. Senate floor passage is pending, with a target date of July 4.
What this means for nonprofits
Budget Reconciliation rules require the House and Senate to pass identical versions. Therefore, these changes, if passed by the Senate, require the bill to be returned to the House for further negotiation.
Nonprofit advocacy has made a difference. The Senate version proposes expanding the universal charitable deduction, eliminating proposed new taxes on private foundations, softening and slowing environmental policy roll-backs, and adjusting several student loan provisions.
Nonprofits have a brief opportunity to continue to influence the bill.
We still have more to do
The Senate version contains significantly more restrictive Medicaid work requirements with fewer exemptions than the House’s terms, and retains House SNAP restrictions and SNAP-Ed elimination. In addition, the bill retains many serious cuts to programs that fund critical work by nonprofits throughout Georgia in a variety of fields, from housing and afterschool programming to senior care, the arts, historic preservation, mental health and substance abuse services, and workforce development programs.
These cuts would significantly threaten the stability of our communities, the health of Georgia’s economy, and the sustainability of our sector.
Immediate call to action
We’re calling on nonprofit leaders, staff, board members, advocates, and concerned citizens to add your name to our sign-on letter urging Georgia’s congressional delegation to protect the public funding that powers prosperity, opportunity, and private investment in our state. You can find the full text of our letter to Congress below.
We’ve made important gains with our collective advocacy and we need your voice in this final push!
Together, we must make clear: Georgia’s future depends on a healthy, strong nonprofit sector – and that requires protecting the federal programs that make our work possible.
Add your name now and share this article with your staff and stakeholders. Ask everyone who supports your mission to add their name and their organization to this letter. Let them know that, as a member of this constituency, their voice is powerful. (You can see the full list of signatories here.)
Let’s stand up for Georgia communities together.
Letter to Congress
Dear Honorable Members of the Georgia Congressional Delegation:
The undersigned Georgians are extremely concerned over the effects of the proposed federal budget bill relative to the stability of Georgia communities, the health of Georgia’s economy, and the sustainability of the nonprofit sector – vital partners in the state’s economy and quality of life.
Specifically, we urge Congress to reject proposals in this budget that threaten Georgia residents’ ability to meet their basic needs:
- OPPOSE Medicaid restrictions and provider tax provisions that would put the health and financial well-being of millions of Georgians, as well as our healthcare system, at risk. Through Medicaid, people with disabilities, older adults, children, families, and low-income individuals in our communities can get the medical care they need. Neither states, health care providers, nonprofits, nor families could make up the difference from the deep cuts being proposed.
- OPPOSE cuts to SNAP and other nutrition services that would mean more Georgians going hungry and paying more for groceries. SNAP reduces health care costs, improves educational outcomes for children, and boosts local economies, especially during economic downturns. Food pantries and private donors cannot make up the difference. In addition, elimination of SNAP-Ed would not make America more healthy – it would eliminate vital information that ultimately reduces healthcare costs.
- OPPOSE cuts to housing, workforce development, educational loan programs, afterschool programming, mental health and substance abuse services, and legal services. These cuts will undermine workforce competitiveness and vital supports for families and individuals across our communities.
- OPPOSE limits on charitable donations by individuals or corporations. These proposals discourage charitable donations made by corporations and individuals, ultimately leaving nonprofit organizations with fewer resources to serve their community.
- SUPPORT and EXPAND tax incentives for charitable giving. The tax bill includes a provision to create a non-itemizer tax incentive for charitable donations to nonprofit organizations. Congress should fully expand this provision.
We urge you to safeguard Georgia, its residents, and its economic well-being by rejecting any budget proposal that significantly reduces funding for essential services and the revenue sources required to support them.
As a dedicated partner for the public sector, Georgia’s nonprofits provide sustainable, working solutions for our state’s families and employers, providing food, training, and healthcare that collectively contribute to the well-being of every Georgia resident. Nonprofits are built to do more with less, and have proven their adaptability to growing needs and diminishing resources time and time again. However, the cuts being proposed for critical services like SNAP and Medicaid will have enormous negative consequences for those we serve, and leave nonprofits without the funding to fill the gaps.
The result? Families will struggle to afford food or pay for housing; employers will struggle to find workers ready to take on the jobs of today and tomorrow; and areas already underserved by a healthcare system that’s been stretched thin – rural communities in particular – will lose the last of their doctors, clinics, and hospitals.
Nonprofit organizations serve as vital pillars of support statewide, but the budget reductions proposed by Congress would generate such overwhelming demand that no single sector – regardless of their commitment – could manage the burden.
Georgia needs a different approach. Prioritize ordinary Georgians by preserving and enhancing the essential support programs that our communities and families rely on for their daily needs, while securing the funding needed to maintain vital public services that help build flourishing neighborhoods throughout Georgia.
Sincerely,
The Georgia Center for Nonprofits and the undersigned Georgians
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