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By Dayna Reyes, Reporter
MCALLEN, Texas — Federal policy decisions made in Washington are dealing a heavy financial and healthcare blow to low-income families across the Rio Grande Valley, with working households and children taking the brunt of the impact, regional leaders and policy experts warned at a community advocacy forum in McAllen last week.
Speaking at a policy workshop hosted by civil rights group UnidosUS, Stan Dorn, director of the Health Policy Project at UnidosUS, and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) sharply criticized recent congressional legislation—specifically the expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits and the passage of major safety net spending reductions dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
Dorn cautioned that while nationwide cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are harming families of all backgrounds, the consequences are falling with particular severity on Texas Latinos, particularly in South Texas.
Severe regional impact
“Last year, Congress made two fateful decisions that have made life worse for millions of families,” Dorn told workshop attendees. “Some of the damage has already been done. 650,000 Texans have lost SNAP in less than a year. Most of them are children. Most of them are Latino.”
Dorn noted that health insurance premium costs for Texans relying on ACA marketplace exchanges have surged by 66 percent. In the Rio Grande Valley alone, roughly 300,000 individuals who purchase coverage independently have seen their average annual out-of-pocket costs nearly double, rising from $890 to $1,700.
Furthermore, Dorn warned that the most devastating impacts were deliberately structured to take effect after upcoming elections. Projections indicate that 1.4 million Texans will ultimately lose health coverage—half of whom are Latino—while an estimated 200,000 jobs in Texas could be eliminated as funding drains out of the state’s healthcare economy.
Dorn added that over $1.6 trillion in costs and reduced revenue will be shifted onto the state of Texas over the coming decade, forcing state lawmakers to choose between severe budget shortfalls or slashing state funding for public schools, infrastructure, and public safety.
“When $1.6 trillion in budget harm hits, they are going to have to find a way to make it up,” Dorn said. “The most important thing for us to do is to tell the truth, to make sure that people in the community understand what has been done, what the consequences are, and that way, when the Latino community raises its voice in a well-informed and effective way, the political system has no choice but to listen.”
Cuellar points to legislative roots
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee representing Texas’s 28th Congressional District, reaffirmed his strong opposition to the legislative package, which he disparagingly referred to as the “young bill” or “big ugly bill.”
“I voted against the big, beautiful bill,” Cuellar stated, pointing out that conservative proponents promoted the legislation using tax relief provisions that offer deceptive long-term value for low- and middle-income families.
Cuellar explained that middle-class tax relief provisions in the bill are capped at incomes below $25,000 and expire after three years, whereas corporate and high-income tax cuts were made permanent.
“When you have the largest shift of wealth in generations from the middle class and the poor to the rich, and you give the working class a three-year tax cut, but the super rich get a permanent tax cut, there’s something wrong with that,” Cuellar argued. “Why are we cutting SNAP and food stamps for our kids, but giving tax credits to gun silencers?”
Reflecting on his personal background as the son of migrant farmworkers who worked in the fields (“trabajando en las pizcas”), Cuellar reminded the audience of his long-standing legislative career, spanning from the Texas House of Representatives to Capitol Hill.
He cited his authorship of foundational state programs during his tenure in Austin, including the landmark South Texas Initiative—which expanded graduate programs, professional degrees, and medical education across South Texas—and the creation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) pilot at Farias Elementary School in Laredo, which later served as a statewide and national blueprint.
Cuellar also highlighted his passage of House Bill 713, establishing the Texas Grant program—the largest scholarship fund in state history, which has overwhelmingly benefited Valley students—and House Bill 1001, which tackled third-world living conditions in border colonias.
“I don’t forget where I came from. That’s the bottom line,” Cuellar said. “This foundation shapes me as to what I do in Congress. I still think money drives policy.”
Warning against relying on state leadership in Austin to offset federal cuts, Cuellar emphasized that local community advocacy and November election outcomes will dictate whether Congress can repeal or amend the legislation.
As ranking member on the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Cuellar noted that regaining the House majority would allow Democrats to reshape federal funding, not only regarding healthcare and social safety net programs, but also concerning border enforcement and ICE oversight.
“We know what the problem is. We need suggestions, ideas, how we can fix, find some practical solutions on that,” Cuellar concluded, urging community stakeholders to remain engaged and bring concrete policy solutions to Washington.
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