We, Catholic Sisters in the United States, write to urge you to cast a life-affirming “no” vote against the “Big, Beautiful Budget Bill (“BBBB”). We have many concerns about this bill, but we are most troubled by proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, the biggest cuts to each program in their respective histories. Our faith compels us to care for all people and all of creation, especially the most vulnerable. This bill would be the most harmful legislation for American families in our lifetimes, and it goes against the principles and teaching of our Catholic faith.

As the late Pope Francis taught, “health is not a consumer good, but a universal right, so access to health services cannot be a privilege.” For centuries, we have responded to this call by founding hospitals and providing medical care in the most disparate of locations to serve all people living on the economic margins. The passage of this bill would cause far more suffering than we could possibly attend to through charity. For this reason, we are speaking out.

As Catholic women religious, we have witnessed firsthand the moral crisis that springs from the lack of quality, affordable health care in this country. We have seen early and avoidable deaths because of lack of insurance, prohibitive costs, and limited access to quality care. We fought for the expansion of coverage in the Affordable Care Act because we saw the life-giving value of crucial healthcare programs such as Medicaid. Today, this program covers over 44 million Americans, including children, pregnant women (and nearly half of all births in this country), people with disabilities, people struggling to get by, and senior citizens.

The “BBBB” would end the Medicaid program as we know it by taking lifesaving health care away from millions. The bill takes hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid and gives it to our country's wealthiest individuals and corporations in the form of tax breaks. This is simply immoral and contrary to the teachings of our Catholic faith.

Jesus teaches that “whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me.” Our response should not be to take health care away from the most vulnerable by cutting and capping Medicaid. To cut Medicaid and take health care from millions of people is not a pro-life stance.

We urge you to be mindful of the needs of all of our people and the holy call to pursue policies that promote the common good. Vote no on the BBBB.

Sincerely,