As the Trump administration proceeds with layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is sounding the alarm on local impact, warning that the cuts put critical support services for Rhode Islanders in jeopardy.
At a press conference Monday at Westbay Community Action in Warwick, Reed joined Joe DeSantis, CEO of Tri-County Community Action, serving Johnston, along with the leaders of the six other Community Action Programs (CAPs) in Rhode Island. He highlighted the potential consequences of the layoffs and broader Republican-led budget proposals that cut funding to programs such as Medicaid, childcare, nutrition assistance and seasonal energy aid.
“The Trump administration and the Republicans in Congress, they want to shred the social safety net, upend this federal and local cooperation and community partnership that has lifted up so many Americans,” Reed said. “Trump, Elon Musk, Robert Kennedy Jr., they've taken a sledgehammer to the Department of Health and Human services, cutting 20,000 professionals that helped CAP agencies each day, and they've done it in such a careless way.”
Rhode Island’s CAPs serve more than 190,000 residents across the state, offering access to job training, health care, affordable housing and energy assistance. The programs are: Westbay Community Action, Community Action Partnership of Providence, Tri-County Community Action, Blackstone Valley Community Action, Community Care Alliance, East Bay Community Action and Comprehensive Community Action.
DeSantis, who has served the community for 52 years, maintains a hopeful but realistic approach when it comes to the news of budget and staffing cuts.
“I'm an optimist. I feel that we’ll get through this. I know we’re going to have some cutting back to do. But we’re fighters. I've been fighting this fight forever and been through a lot, but this is the worst I’ve ever seen,” he said.
While DeSantis is unsure what programs will be cut, he is trying to plan for them. If a federal program is eliminated, that program may not be sustainable locally.
“I’m particularly worried about Medicaid cuts because 65% of our money comes from Medicaid,” he said. “We run a community health center, so if they cut Medicaid or get more people off Medicaid, we have less people coming in,” which will mean less reimbursement.
Paul Salera, president and CEO of Westbay Community Action, whose organization serves Kent County and hosted the conference, said his organization’s food pantry serves 120 households per day, five days a week. He fears that job cuts and potential budget cuts could be harmful to each CAP, as they get funding from the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. He added that these organizations may need to rely on community partners who might not be able to contribute as much due to rising costs from tariffs and inflation.
“My biggest fear is for the residents of both Kent County and the state and them not being able to get the safety-net services. It's that husband and wife who live on Social Security, those older Rhode Islanders who live on Social Security, and now they can't get heating assistance, which could possibly save them $50 to $200 a month off their budget,” he said. “We're hoping that a lot of this stuff is just headlines, it's just talk.”
The Trump administration’s HHS layoffs come as part of a broader push by congressional Republicans to advance a budget with cuts across social safety-net programs. Reed criticized the effort, saying that cutting funds for federal programs often shifts the financial burden, resulting in fewer services and higher costs.
“What they've done is they've made these headline announcements, and the details are following. In some cases, we were seeing cuts and, in some cases, it's just for confusion,” he said “No one knows how much is being cut or where it is coming from. He wants headlines and it's work out the details later, but everything we've heard is cut, cut, cut, cut programs that really help people.”
Reed added, “They're making mistakes about our community's health and safety, and of course lives, literally.”
The senator vowed to fight the proposed cuts in Washington and urged local leaders and residents to voice their concerns about the long-term impact on Rhode Island communities.
“There’s still a bit of confusion, but yes, Republicans will feel this, too. I hope before we get to that point my colleagues will understand that and step up and say we can't do it,” he said.
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