Seattle staff warn HR1 will cut Medicaid, SNAP and other safety-net funding and shift costs to states

Seattle City Council committee members were warned July 18 that H.R.1, described in the meeting as the “1 Big Beautiful Act,” will reduce federal health and nutrition benefits, raise administrative costs for states and local governments and produce sizable local budget shortfalls if departments and partners do not act.

Annie, a staff member from the City Office of Intergovernmental Relations, told the Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes that the reconciliation package signed July 4 spans nearly 900 pages and includes major changes to Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, SNAP and immigration-related programs. She said the package uses reconciliation rules to pass with a simple majority and folded measures from roughly 10 congressional committees into one bill.

The committee heard that the city expects a range of direct and indirect local effects. On health services, OIR highlighted phased reductions to Medicaid and children’s coverage beginning in 2027, changes to work requirements and cost sharing, and provisions that would bar or limit enrollment for some noncitizen…