- Advocates warn proposed budget cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will harm vulnerable Utahns.
- Protests occurred at Utah representatives' offices, urging them to oppose the bill.
- Republicans defend cuts, citing program sustainability; critics fear loss of coverage for 188,000 Utahns.
SALT LAKE CITY — Advocates for low-income people and older adults warn that congressional Republicans' budget bill could be detrimental to vulnerable Utahns, thanks to proposed cuts to Medicaid and supplemental nutrition programs.
The tax-and-spending megabill — which passed the Senate Tuesday — would extend tax cuts implemented in 2017, raise the nation's debt ceiling and cut funding for Medicaid health insurance and SNAP through work requirements and other means. House members are rushing to consider the package before Friday, and opponents hope to forestall what they see as the downsides before a final version is approved.
"We're talking about real people and real impacts to families and lives," said Matthew McCullough, with the Utah Hospital Association. "These are real people who need care; they need access to care in these rural communities, and this bill really does not support them and their families."
He described a bleak outlook for rural hospitals, in particular, which could lose about a fifth of all Medicaid funding under the current version of President Donald Trump's so-called "big, beautiful bill."
McCullough spoke to reporters on a virtual call Wednesday, along with representatives of several organizations, including Crossroads Urban Center, Utahns Against Hunger and Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake Area.
Former Utah Republican state Rep. Marsha Judkins, who used to serve on the committee that handled state spending on social services, said Medicaid and SNAP programs in Utah "have very little fraud, abuse or waste."
Medicaid is administered by states, and Judkins said if the federal cuts materialize, state lawmakers would have to cut benefits, divert money from other social services, or from other government budget items to cover the costs.
"None of these are going to benefit the citizens of Utah. They are just going to further devastate our most vulnerable," she said.
Opponents of the bill organized "pop-up" protests outside the district offices of each of Utah's four congressional representatives on Wednesday, urging the Republicans to vote against the bill. All four voted in favor of the House version that was first approved in May.
Protesters gathered at the offices of Rep. Burgess Owens in West Jordan, Rep. Celeste Maloy in Bountiful and Rep. Mike Kennedy in Provo — about 30 people at each location — to push back on what they dubbed the "Big Ugly Bill." Protesters in Provo blared pop music from a boombox and lined the sidewalk of University Avenue with signs, cheering when passing motorists honked.
They called on Kennedy, a family doctor, to preserve access to Medicaid, a government-funded health care program for low-income people that faces cuts of about $930 billion.
At a town hall in March, Kennedy said: "The idea that a family doctor who knows by name people that have received Medicaid wants to see that program damaged is nonsense. I'll say to you, I'm also very focused on making sure whatever we do to preserve the financial stability of this country, it's not going to be on the backs of the most vulnerable citizens of our society."
Republicans have defended the Medicaid cuts, saying the work requirements and other provisions are meant to reduce waste and fraud, and to protect the long-term health of the program. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates some 11.8 million Americans will lose health coverage by 2034 if the bill passes — including about 188,000 Utahns, per an analysis released by Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee.
Protesters outside Maloy's district office in Bountiful were confronted by an angry counter-protester who yelled anti-gay statements and threatened to assault protesters. Several police officers arrived on scene and stayed for about 15 minutes before leaving. Nobody was injured.
Several people tried to talk with Kennedy's staff at his district office in a Provo business complex, but say they were told to leave the building. Kennedy's chief of staff told KSL.com constituents are required to have an appointment to meet with staff or come during open office hours each Monday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., as requested by the building's landlord to avoid disturbing neighboring businesses.
Both of Utah's Republican senators voted in favor of the Senate bill on Tuesday, ahead of President Donald Trump's imposed deadline of July Fourth.
"The Big Beautiful Bill delivers for Utahns," Sen. John Curtis explained on X. "It secures the border, provides permanent tax relief for working families, and strengthens our military. I'm grateful to (Senate Majority) Leader (John) Thune and Finance Chair (Mike) Crapo for including my changes to the energy tax credits — key for business certainty and for Utah's energy future. I look forward to the House sending it to the president before the Fourth."
Solar companies in Utah pushed back against a proposal to rapidly phase out tax credits for energy that was included in the original House version. The Senate bill will allow projects to qualify for the credits as long as construction begins within a year of the law taking effect or if they come online before the end of 2027.
The advocates didn't appear wholly confident that Congress would listen to their concerns, but said they plan to continue pushing for changes even if the bill is enacted.
"Having served in a legislature, there's always next year, too," Judkins said. "You can pass a bad bill this year and change it next year. ... We can't just give up now. We have to keep explaining and explaining."
"And hopefully, if this bill does pass," she added, "What I hope is that local legislators, state legislators, will see what a disaster it is and put pressure on the delegation. ... But it is discouraging to see all of this happening."
Contributing: Laura Seitz
