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The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

Historic Medicaid & SNAP Cuts Could Tank Already Faltering U.S. Economy, w/ Prof. Richard Wolff

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

The Socialist Program

Politics, News

4.7587 Ratings

🗓️ 4 June 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Are enormous cuts to Medicaid and food stamps coming? The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would make historically large cuts to both programs, which will result in millions losing access to health insurance and food stamps, now known as SNAP. These cuts will also effectively slash subsidies to retailers, farmers, food producers, and the health care industry—while the economy is already floundering from tariffs, as shown by a new financial forecast from the OECD.

Nicole Roussell and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the horrendous effects this will have on people, the economy, and our society, and what could stop them from happening.

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

Join the The Socialist Program community at www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Congress is proposing the largest cuts in history to Medicaid and food stamps slashing the

0:05.3

already frail public safety net in the United States. This would pull access to health care

0:10.1

and basic food necessities from people, as well as hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies

0:14.9

to the economy, even as reports are showing a coming global economic crisis.

0:20.0

We need a new system. We need a new system.

0:21.6

We need a new society.

0:23.6

We need to demand that which may have sounded impossible even a few weeks ago,

0:28.6

but is not only realizable, but an imperative necessity. We are very excited to have Professor Richard Wolfe join us for a regular weekly segment

0:59.9

where we discuss the biggest stories relating to the economy, the state of the working class,

1:04.0

and the crimes of big business.

1:06.2

I'm Nicole Roussel, sitting in for your host, Brian Becker.

1:09.5

The Socialist Program brings you content several days a week

1:12.0

thanks to the support of our patrons at patreon.com slash the Socialist Program.

1:16.5

We appreciate all of your support and encourage you to become a patron today

1:20.3

if you enjoy listening to the show.

1:23.1

Richard Wolfe is the co-founder of the organization Democracy of Work

1:26.0

and the author of many books, including Understanding Capitalism, which you can find at democracy at work.com.

1:33.2

Richard, as I said in the introduction, the huge cuts to Medicaid and food stamp cuts that are on the table from the quote-unquote big beautiful bill that has passed the house would leave at least 8.6 million people without

1:45.7

access to health care and millions more at risk in the coming years. The work requirements that

1:50.7

are included in the bill require working 80 hours over a month for Medicaid and expand those

1:55.3

same existing work requirements for food stamps. Rapaligans are saying this will cut fraud,

2:00.7

waste, and abuse,

...

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