B’nai B’rith International is disappointed Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will quickly be signed into law by the president. While we are encouraged by certain provisions of the legislation, we are deeply concerned about the broader impact this legislation could have on older adults.

Steep cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP could cause vulnerable older adults to lose critical safety nets and services. Medicaid helps pay for crucial medical expenses, and SNAP—the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program—provides nutrition assistance for low-income individuals, including seniors. Once implemented, the new law could impact older adults by de-funding programs they rely on and using that “savings” to fund other congressional priorities. We are concerned making services less accessible will lead to less healthy seniors.

Medicaid and SNAP impact millions of older adults in the country. The U.S. government reports 7.2 million seniors are enrolled in Medicaid, which helps defray the costs for medical and nursing home expenses, prescription drugs and more. In addition, the National Council on Aging states that about 4.8 million people over age 60 received vital nutrition assistance from SNAP.

It should be noted we are encouraged by some aspects of this legislation. For instance, qualifying older adults benefit from tax relief specifically aimed at seniors. Also, we applaud Congress for expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit which will provide more affordable housing around the country.

As this legislation is implemented, B’nai B’rith will carefully monitor the real-world impact on seniors, and we will continue to urge Congress and the White House to restore funding to programs vital to seniors’ health and well-being.