U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is warning that millions of children—including thousands across New York—could lose access to critical health and nutrition programs under legislation backed by former President Donald Trump.
In a virtual press conference on June 25, Gillibrand denounced what Trump has called his “Big Beautiful Bill,” saying it would “hurt our kids” by gutting Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She pointed to the more than 37 million children nationwide who rely on Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) for essential care.
“Half of all patients at pediatric hospitals are covered by Medicaid, and thousands of children across the country rely on the Medicaid-funded checkups and mental and behavioral health care they get at school,” Gillibrand said.
The legislation, she said, would slash access to behavioral health services, vision and hearing screenings, and routine doctor visits. It would also tighten SNAP work requirements—even for parents in households with children—making it harder for struggling families to put food on the table.
According to Gillibrand, school districts would be hit especially hard. Many use Medicaid funding to employ nurses, psychologists, and speech language pathologists, and to buy specialized equipment for students with disabilities. “Stripping Medicaid of funding would force schools to lay off health staff and limit services,” she said.
Gillibrand also criticized the SNAP changes as punitive and unrealistic. “Harsher work requirements for SNAP will also deprive hungry kids whose parents are struggling to find work of high-quality nutrition,” she said. “This legislation is a betrayal of our kids and our families.”
She called on Republican lawmakers to reconsider the proposal and urged bipartisan efforts to strengthen—not weaken—support for vulnerable children.
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