OKLAHOMA CITY – A total of 25 civic organizations and 135 individuals have signed on to a letter from Oklahoma’s Advocate Community to Oklahoma’s members of Congress expressing concern about the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Advocate Community is made up of organizations and individuals “charged with protecting and improving the quality of life for several marginalized communities in Oklahoma.”
They asked federal lawmakers to “do all you can to protect funding for Medicaid, SNAP, FEMA and other critical life-saving services supporting Oklahoma’s children in need.” The group noted that they “support efforts to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse of programs, we encourage you to not slash essential services supporting children.”
The cuts to Medicaid in the federal legislation received the most attention from the advocates, as they noted the program is “critical to the long-term health of Oklahomans.”
The letter goes on to say that “more than a million Oklahomans, one-fourth of our population – are enrolled in SoonerCare (the state’s Medicaid program). The split between adult and child enrollees is fairly equal, with 47 percent adults and 53 percent children.”
The advocates noted, “protection of Medicaid funding is wholly consistent with each of your stated views regarding the birth of children. In fact, Medicaid pays for more than half of Oklahoma births and covers 47% of all Oklahoma children. It is no exaggeration to suggest that Oklahoma’s future depends on the protection of Medicaid funding.”
The campaign to sign on to the letter was coordinated by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), in concert with Child Focus, a national organization that shares much of its mission with OICA.
“This letter is a chance to remind our Senators and Representatives about how families in Oklahoma benefit from Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical support services in particular, and the impact of cuts to Medicaid on children and families in the child welfare system,” wrote Joe Dorman, OICA’s CEO.
The “Big Beautiful Bill,” as it is called, is slated to be taken up by members of the U.S. Senate after having passed the House of Representatives by a single vote before the Memorial Day recess. Dorman noted that it was important to get the letter into lawmakers’ hands this week as the bill continues to be considered.
“There is hardly any Oklahoman that will not in some way be impacted by this bill,” Dorman said. “Whether it is rural families who may lose a hospital in their community, or a hungry child who will not be able to get food, this bill’s impact is virtually universal across the state.”
To read the full letter, and the names of the
organizations and individual who signed it, go to https://tinyurl.com/ LTCOICA6-3.
In conclusion, Dorman suggested every Oklahoman who may have thoughts on parts, or all of the legislation, should reach out to our federal delegation.
“Our elected officials work for us,” he said. “Therefore, it is our responsibility to give them instructions on the kind of state and nation we want. Again, they are public servants.”
To get federal lawmakers’ contact information, go to https://tinyurl.
com/OKCongDel.
