The Legal Aid Society is warning of the devastating consequences of President Trump’s tax bill, which includes harmful cuts to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program, and vital social safety net programs that millions of New Yorkers rely on for access to healthcare and other basic essentials.

“This reckless legislation will have catastrophic and far-reaching consequences for millions of low-income New Yorkers,” a statement from Legal Aid reads. “For starters, the bill includes devastating cuts to Medicaid, a vital program that nearly seven million New Yorkers rely on for access to affordable healthcare.”

“SNAP benefits – which provide food assistance to low-income individuals and families – will also face massive cuts, with Trump’s bill shifting billions of dollars in costs historically covered by the federal government onto states,” the statement continues. “New York could be forced to spend billions to make up for the losses or see hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers – including children, seniors, and people with disabilities – lose their benefits.”

“It is incumbent upon our leaders in Albany and City Hall to immediately put pen to paper and begin strengthening the critical social safety net programs that this bill will recklessly slash,” the statement concludes. “Increasing funding for Medicaid, as well as enacting legislation that enshrines into law protections for our most vulnerable neighbors, is the only way to ensure that all New Yorkers are safeguarded amid the devastating losses this bill will impart on New York.”