With a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Vance, the Senate has approved the Federal Administration’s Big Beautiful Bill, which will now head to the House for final approval. 

While this bill will lead to Big changes in the way our Federal government utilizes taxpayer dollars and supports communities, Beautiful might not be the way we describe it. This bill includes significant cuts to Medicaid, HUD, Healthcare, and SNAP essential programs that support low-income communities, seniors, people with disabilities, and families struggling without living wages to support their families amid rising costs of basic necessities.

What nonprofits and foundations need to know

These programs are lifelines for many people in the Philadelphia Region, a region with significant deep poverty, and cuts to them will likely result in:

• Reduced access to healthcare: The bill proposes more than $900 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade. In Pennsylvania, nearly 3 million people are covered by Medicaid, including about 700,000 in Philadelphia alone. These cuts could result in an estimated 300,000 Pennsylvanians losing coverage, with Philadelphia’s most vulnerable — children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families —especially at risk. Many of them rely on Medicaid for mental health services, addiction treatment, and chronic disease management. These cuts will drive more people into crisis, emergency rooms, and even homelessness.

• Increased food insecurity: The bill also cuts funding for SNAP (food stamps), threatening food security for thousands of Philadelphia families. With the rising cost of living, many working Philadelphians who do not have a living wage but are not considered “vulnerable” under the new definition could lose access to essential food.

• Housing instability: While federal tax credits for affordable housing are expanded, the bill also proposes significant cuts to HUD funding. This means less funding for rental assistance, homelessness prevention, and affordable housing programs such as Mayor Parker’s H.O.M.E. plan. While H.O.M.E relies on city bonds and land, it also depends on federal and state funding to fill gaps and support programs.

• Greater demand on local nonprofits and faith-based organizations to address the widening disparities in health, housing, and food security left by federal retrenchment, while new restrictions on diversity and equity programming and shifting federal priorities and unpredictable funding streams impact their capacity and abilities.

Advocate with your local House Representative

As the bill goes to the House of Representatives for final passage, this is a crucial moment for advocacy. The potential consequences of passing this bill, will undermine the work and progress of community organizations and will bring significant cuts to important programs that support our most vulnerable communities. Here’s how to take action:

Educate your community about the specific local impacts of the proposed cuts. Share stories, data, and projections to illustrate what’s at stake.

Contact your House Representative: Request meetings, submit testimony, and attend town hall meetings. Remember that personal stories from constituents are not only compelling, but also powerful tools for change.

Mobilize your networks: Coordinate staff, volunteers, other organizations, and community members to contact their representatives by phone, email, or in person. Remember that clear and coordinated messages and action steps are key to effective communication.

Leverage media: write opinion pieces, share impact stories, and use social media to raise public awareness and inform legislators of the impact of their decisions.