Action Alert: Contact your Senator to today and urge them to oppose cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and the Child Tax Credit!
Hi from the Maine Children’s Alliance! We hope you’re enjoying the warmer weather and finding time to relax with your loved ones. We may be biased, but summer in Maine is truly the best.
We want to keep you in the loop about what’s happening at the federal level – here’s what you need to know. We get it, things are moving quickly, the language is confusing, and there’s a lot at stake. MCA is here to break it down for you and let you know how you can make a difference.
First, the U.S. House recently passed its version of the budget bill, which calls for (among many things) billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid (known as MaineCare in our state), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the scaling back of the Federal Child Tax Credit. Our friends at the Maine Center for Economic Policy did a great breakdown here on how these cuts would affect working families in Maine if implemented.
We’re grateful that both of Maine’s Representatives, Chellie Pingree (District 1) and Jared Golden (District 2), heard concerns from our communities and voted against the Bill.
Now, the bill is in the hands of the U.S. Senate, where members can either agree to these cuts or amend them.
This is where you come in!
Call Susan Collins TODAY! As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Collins has a significant impact on what the final version of the Bill actually says – and she needs to hear from Mainers like you about why we need to protect programs and services that support our families and communities.
We’re also thankful that Senator Angus King has already expressed opposition to all of these cuts. If you would like to take a moment to thank him or confirm his opposition, please see his contact information here.
Please take a moment to call Senator Collins today and urge her to oppose cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and the Child Tax Credit!
Scroll down below to see below phone numbers for all of her office locations, as well as a sample script to use!
U.S. Senator Susan Collins
Phone/Fax Numbers
Augusta: 207-622-8414 / fax 207-622-5884
Bangor: 207-945-0417 / fax 2J07-990-4604
Biddeford: 207-283-1101 / fax 207-283-4054
Caribou: 207-493-7873 / fax 207-493-7810
Lewiston: 207-784-6969 / fax 207-782-6475
Portland: 207-780-3575 / fax 207-828-0380
Washington, DC: 202-224-2523 / fax 202-224-2693
Script:
Hi, my name is {insert your name} and I live in {insert your town}. I’m calling today to express my concerns about major cuts to MaineCare, SNAP, and the Child Tax Credit. These are programs that our working families rely on to thrive in our state, from Down East to Downtown Portland. I’m hopeful that Senator Collins will use her vote to protect funding for these programs.
If implemented, these cuts could close rural hospitals in the County, reduce access to care, health care workers could lose their jobs, food could be out of reach for our kids, and budgets would be a lot harder to stretch for Maine families.
If these cuts are implemented…. [pick any or all of these to lift up]
- Up to 34,000 of our neighbors could lose MaineCare coverage, putting community health and safety at risk, and jeopardizing school readiness for our youngest Mainers
- 31,000 could lose SNAP, leaving our kids, veterans, and seniors without enough to eat
- Four of our rural hospitals could close, cutting off essential medical care for our loggers, farmers, lobstermen, and rural workers
- Healthcare workers could lose their jobs, and the cost of living could rise for families who are already stretched thin
- [Please feel free to add in any other points about how these cuts would impact your family and community!]
Please thank Senator Collins for all the work she’s done so far to support MaineCare, SNAP, and the Child Tax Credit in the past – we’re grateful for her steadfast advocacy. I hope she continues to stand up for what’s right and protect the resources that keep our families and communities strong. It’s clear she cares deeply about Maine and the people who make this state so special.
I’m worried about what could happen if we go backwards and lose these critical programs we have worked so hard to make sure people can get. Maine is stronger when we invest in the things that really matter, like health care, food, and tax credits for working families.
Thank you for your time, and please make sure that Susan Collins gets this message!
