Dear friends and neighbors,
As your state senator, I want to share how recent federal actions will affect our state and the steps we have taken — and will continue to take — to protect Washingtonians.
Earlier this year, Congress passed H.R. 1, a sweeping federal budget bill that significantly changes programs many Washingtonians rely on. While it delivers large tax cuts at the federal level, the benefits go to billionaires and big corporations, and they are paid for through deep cuts to health care, food assistance, education, and other essential services.
The impacts here in Washington will be severe:
- Medicaid: Our state is projected to lose $3-5 billion annually in federal funding. Up to 250,000 people could lose coverage, and at least 14 rural hospitals are now at risk of closing.
- Food assistance: More than 130,000 Washingtonians could lose SNAP benefits, with remaining households seeing reduced monthly support.
- Student loans: The bill places new restrictions on repayment and forgiveness options, creating additional burdens for students and families.
- Public health and clean energy: Federal investments in behavioral health, substance use treatment, and climate resilience are being scaled back.
These numbers represent real people in our communities — families losing health care, seniors struggling to afford food, and rural residents facing longer drives to reach a hospital.
In the Legislature we have taken deliberate steps to protect our residents from this kind of federal rollback. In recent years, we have:
- Expanded and safeguarded Apple Health, including extending coverage for postpartum parents and ensuring continuous eligibility for children.
- Invested in behavioral health, with new crisis stabilization centers, expanded treatment options, and funding to keep community clinics open.
- Protected reproductive and gender-affirming care in state law so access cannot be taken away by federal changes.
- Strengthened rural health care by increasing hospital support and addressing workforce shortages.
- Lowered prescription costs by capping insulin at $35 per month and improving access to essential medications.
- Protected school meals for students, regardless of shifts in federal food assistance programs.
- Maintained financial aid and tuition supports for Washington students, including those ineligible for federal aid.
These actions put our state in a stronger position to withstand harmful federal cuts, but they cannot replace billions of lost federal dollars. That is why I will continue working in the 2026 legislative session to identify additional state-level solutions, protect the services families depend on, and ensure Washington remains a place where everyone can access the care, food, and opportunity they need to live healthy, secure lives.
Sincerely,
Sen. Claudia Kauffman
