“Regardless what today’s census numbers show, the reality is this: with the big, ugly Republican megabill, President Trump just passed the largest cuts to food assistance and health care in U.S. history — all to hand billionaires massive tax breaks. The result will be fewer families with health coverage, more children going hungry, and rising poverty in the years ahead.
At the same time, the Trump administration is undermining the very agencies we rely on to measure these impacts. By weakening data collection, they’re trying to hide the harm their policies cause — leaving the public in the dark about how families are really doing.
In Maine, we’ve fought hard for Paid Family and Medical Leave, the Child Tax Credit, and investments in schools, housing, and health care. Those gains are now under attack. Families may look stable in this year’s Census data, but deep cuts to the programs people rely on will unravel that progress and push thousands into hardship.
Lawmakers face a clear choice: stand up for families who need food, health care, and housing — or cave to the ultra-wealthy and large corporations. The stakes couldn’t be higher.” – Garrett Martin, MECEP President & CEO