GOP congressmen respond to Stein’s concerns over reconciliation bill

On July 15, the North Carolina Republican US House delegation sent a letter to Gov. Josh Stein regarding his concerns about the US Senate reconciliation bill. The letter addresses concerns about Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. 

“We agree we must preserve and strengthen these programs for our shared constituents who depend on them,” wrote the lawmakers. “We also know this bill will greatly benefit our constituents by prioritizing our most vulnerable and their access to resources, bringing in more take-home pay monthly, increasing resources for families with children, and preventing the largest tax hike in history.”

Following the passage of the Senate’s reconciliation bill (the One Big Beautiful Bill) by the US House of Representatives, Stein released a statement criticizing the bill, particularly its provisions regarding Medicaid and SNAP benefits. 

“More than half a million people stand to lose their health care, tens of thousands working in clean energy and manufacturing could lose their jobs, electricity bills could rise nearly 20 percent, and 1.4 million people – including 600,000 children – could find themselves without the help they need to afford food,” wrote Stein in a press release. “The bill is a disgrace, and I am disappointed in those who did not stand up for the people they serve, choosing instead to ignore warnings from local leaders and groups across the state who have sounded the alarm about the dangers in this bill.”

NC Republican House members resisted his claims and alleged that the numbers he cited were inflated and outdated, not based on analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the actual impact of the bill, or legislation signed into law. 

“This landmark legislation protects our most vulnerable and middle-class families. For years, able-bodied independent adults have had better and quicker access to Medicaid services, delaying care for our elderly, disabled, blind, children, and single and pregnant mothers,” wrote the lawmakers. “We have heard numerous stories of vulnerable patients waiting years for hospital at home services, medical equipment, special needs waivers and more. This bill restores integrity and sustainability to our healthcare programs so those vulnerable patients can access care when they need it.” 

Stein described SNAP as a vital food-assistance program for over 1.4 million North Carolinians utilizing the fully funded federal plan.

“We cannot simply accept these harmful impacts,” wrote Stein. “The General Assembly must step up to protect our bipartisan Medicaid expansion law and food assistance through SNAP.”

The state’s GOP US House delegation also pushed back on this point. 

“HR 1 also ensures SNAP works the way Congress intended it to, by reinforcing work, restoring program integrity, and instituting long-overdue accountability incentives for states to control costs, enhance efficiencies, and improve outcomes,” wrote the lawmakers. “As you know, unlike the Medicaid program, the federal government covers 100 percent of the costs of SNAP benefits, and the states pay zero percent. Since 2019, SNAP rolls have increased by 17 percent, from 36 million to 42 million, and the overall cost of the program has grown by 83 percent, ballooning from $60 billion to $110 billion annually. Moreover, states, who administer the SNAP program, collectively make over $10 billion per year in erroneous payments, both overpayments and underpayments, to participants.”

According to the NC Republican US House delegation, the national average error rate has surged to 11%, nearly double what it was in 2019. North Carolina’s error rate is 10%, exceeding its pre-COVID average of less than 6%. With the federal debt approaching $38 trillion, they asserted that Congress can no longer look the other way as federal dollars are being diverted away from families struggling with food insecurity. They encouraged Stein to take advantage of the opportunity to help drive meaningful change.

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