Amo Blasts Republican-Controlled House Rules Committee for Rejecting Pro-Medicaid and SNAP Amendments to Budget Resolution

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01) a member of the House Committee on Budget, blasted the Republican-controlled House Committee on Rules for refusing to accept his amendments to the Republican budget resolution, preventing them from being considered by the full House of Representatives. Congressman Amo’s amendments would have prevented cuts to programs that feed America’s school children and supported a program that delivers health care to more than 72 million low-income Americans. Both programs, SNAP and Medicaid, are essential for Rhode Islanders — yet they have been placed on the chopping block as Republicans seek to offset their plans to cut taxes for wealthy billionaires and corporations.

“Republicans can’t have it both ways — they can’t claim to stand up for their constituents on SNAP and Medicaid and then reject amendments that would do just that,” said Congressman Gabe Amo, a member of the House Committee on Budget. “My common-sense amendments would have supported these two key programs that feed hungry children and care for sick Americans. Democrats provided Republicans with several chances to stand with the many instead of the rich. They declined multiple times. I’ll continue to pull out every stop as I seek to prevent these cuts from becoming reality.”

BACKGROUND

Congressman Amo serves on the House Committee on the Budget to fight for budget priorities that reflect Rhode Island values and the needs of working families across the country. The House Committee on the Budget’s chief responsibility is to draft an annual concurrent resolution on the budget that provides the framework for spending and revenue levels, the federal surplus or deficit, and public debt. The Committee is also the first step in the reconciliation process the Republican House majority is using to push the Trump Tax Scam 2.0 — a plan that could cut key programs like SNAP and Medicaid.

On February 24, 2025, Congressman Amo submitted two amendments to the House Committee on Rules. The first amendment would protect SNAP, the Community Eligibility Provision, the School Breakfast Program, and the National School Lunch Program in the Republican budget resolution instructions to the Committees on Education and Workforce, and Agriculture. The second amendment would affirm that Medicaid is a critical program that provides health care, nursing home care, and other life-saving services to 72 million Americans, including 30 million children, and more than 306,000 Rhode Island residents. The amendment supports protecting Medicaid from possible Republican cuts to fund more tax breaks for the wealthy.    

Similarly, during the House Budget Committee markup on February 13, 2025, Congressman Amo offered two amendments. His first amendment would support protecting and extending Medicare’s solvency by closing tax loopholes and requiring wealthy taxpayers to contribute more to Medicare. His second amendment would strike the instructions to the Committees on Education and Workforce, and Agriculture to protect SNAP, the Community Eligibility Provision, the School Breakfast Program, and the National School Lunch Program.

On February 19, 2025, Congressman Amo visited the Barrington Peck Center for Adult Enrichment where he spoke about his support for critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid. There, Congressman Amo discussed his work on the Budget Committee to protect these programs from Republican cuts. On February 20, Congressman Gabe Amo joined Dean Ashish Jha of Brown University’s School of Public Health to reaffirm his support for funding health care facilities that provide comprehensive primary care to medically underserved communities, as well as his work to protect critical funding for medical research and public health programs under threat due to cuts by the Trump administration.

The Republican budget resolution directs specific committees to achieve spending cuts or increases. Republicans leaked menu of options includes:

• At least $880 billion in cuts for the Energy and Commerce Committee, which could target Medicaid, Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium assistance, and repeal Inflation Reduction Act policies.
• At least $330 billion in cuts for the Education and Workforce Committee, which could target student loan programs, income driven repayment, and Pell grants, Head Start, and School lunch.
• At least $230 billion in cuts for the Agriculture Committee, which could target SNAP.
• At least $50 billion in cuts for the Oversight Committee, which could target government employee retirement benefits and changes to federal workforce.
• At least $10 billion in cuts for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which could target restricting Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding, Essential Air Service, increasing the “tonnage tax” on cargo, and raiding the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
• At least $1 billion in cuts for the Financial Services Committee, which could target the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and funding for financial regulators.
• At least $1 billion in cuts for the Natural Resources Committee, which could include expanded oil and gas leasing and the repeal of Inflation Reduction Act policies.  
• Up to $4.5 trillion in new spending for the Ways and Means Committee, which could include tax cuts for the top one percent, repeal of Inflation Reduction Act policies, cuts to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Social Services Block Grant, cuts in Medicare payments to providers, and cuts to Affordable Care Act premium assistance.