Rep. Grijalva says Republican budget proposal would affect seniors’ healthcare, food, and housing

The Republican budget proposal would affect many Arizona seniors needing assistance

WASHINGTON (KYMA, KECY) - The House Republican budget proposal plans to cut Fiscal Year 2024 discretionary spending, which will result in a cut of at least 22% for essential programs that will affect seniors.

Representative Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona) says, “The Republican budget proposal would be devastating to many Arizona seniors, many of whom are disabled or on a fixed-income.” 

“These cuts would rob seniors of health, housing and even food assistance at a time when many are dealing with rising costs and still recovering from the impacts of the pandemic. Eliminating this critical funding is cruel and we won’t turn our backs on our seniors," explained Rep. Grijalva.

In Rep. Grijalva's press release, it gives information on how this budget proposal would affect Arizona seniors.

The budget proposal would:

• Worsen Social Security and Medicare wait times.
  • Social Security Administration will have to close its offices and reduce in-person services. People applying for disability benefits will have to wait two more months for the processing of claims.
  • 1.5 million seniors and people with disabilities in Arizona will have to wait longer whenever they call for assistance for both Social Security and Medicare since fewer staff will be available.
• Rob seniors of healthy meals.
  • Nutrition services, such as Meals on Wheels, would be cut for more than one million seniors, and for some, these services are their only meal of the day.
• Cut housing for seniors.
  • Seniors would be at greater risk of homelessness.
  • More than 430,000 low-income families would be evicted from Section 8 housing. More than 80% of households are headed by seniors which would cause an unprecedented loss of affordable housing for them.
• Reduce vital services for older adults.
  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would not be able to complete 38% of the required health and safety recertification surveys of nursing homes and home health agencies. Which leaves seniors at greater risk of dangerous and unsanitary conditions.
  • 10,000 low-income older workers participating in the Senior Community Service Employment Program would lose their jobs.

More information on the budget proposal can be found here and here. And how House Republicans' proposals impact the Department of Health and Human Services can be found here.