Nebraska For Us hosts webinar on federal tax policy and possible cuts to health care, nutrition assistance, and education programs

OMAHA, Nebraska (February 14, 2025)—Defending Nebraska Families was the motto of a webinar this week that welcomed dozens of guests. This urgent conversation came as House Republicans introduced their blueprint for a spending bill that would make funding cuts to health care, food assistance, and education programs to pay for more tax breaks for corporations and the ultra-wealthy could impact Nebraskans’ everyday lives.

Americans For Tax Fairness and OpenSky Policy Institute joined Nebraska For Us for the wide-ranging discussion that is available for viewing here.

“In recent weeks, the status of federal programs and tax policy have changed by the minute,” Nebraska For Us State Director Angie Lauritsen said. “Providing an informative discussion in a virtual setting allows us to get in front of even more people who want a sense of what is happening at the federal level in terms of economic policies. Everything from congressional tax proposals for more tax handouts to corporations and billionaires, to potential funding cuts to health care and food assistance, to the impact of the federal funding freeze and budget cuts were on the menu for this gathering.”

“Year after year, it has become clear that cuts from the 2017 GOP Tax Law did not trickle down to middle class workers,” John Foti, Deputy Executive Director of Americans For Tax Fairness said. “While the top earners have reaped the rewards from the very beginning, renewing these cuts means the bottom 60% would benefit by less than $1.25 per day.”

“We understand that any reduction in funds from the federal government would mean either cuts to essential services or a shift in costs to the state,” Dr. Rebecca Firestone, Executive Director of OpenSky Policy Institute said. “Nebraska faces a massive budget shortfall in the coming years, and any further shift in funding could make the problem much worse.”

Nebraska For Us focuses on economic issues in Congressional District 2 and across the state, specifically policies that support working families—like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Nebraska For Us actively encourages people in the state to contact their representatives to share their thoughts on proposed funding cuts to programs Nebraskans rely on to pay for more tax breaks for billionaires and corporations. In the months ahead, we will continue hosting issue-focused events tied to the news of the day.