Celebrities sign letter opposing cuts to Medicaid, SNAP: Full list
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Celebrities Sign Letter Opposing Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP: Full List
More than 30 prominent figures from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter urging Congress to reject deep cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. The letter, published by nonprofit organization Feeding America on June 25, described the proposals as “unacceptable and wrong” It includes signatures from the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Matt Damon, and former One Direction star Zayn Malik. If enacted, these cuts could result in millions losing access to food assistance and health care, with an estimated 7.6 million at risk of losing Medicaid coverage and SNAP losing 9.5 billion meals per year. The cuts are included as part of a larger effort to offset the costs of making President Donald Trump-era tax cuts permanent.Congress is expected to vote on the package in the coming weeks, with a deadline set for July 4. The full list of signatories is as follows:
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More than 30 prominent figures from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter urging Congress to reject deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid.
The letter, published by nonprofit organization Feeding America on June 25, described the proposals as “unacceptable and wrong” while warning that millions of Americans rely on these programs for basic food security and health care. It includes signatures from the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Matt Damon, and former One Direction star Zayn Malik.
Newsweek reached out to Feeding America for comment via its website outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
The proposed reductions to SNAP and Medicaid form part of a Republican-led legislative package making its way through Congress, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
If enacted, these cuts could result in millions losing access to food assistance and health care, with an estimated 7.6 million at risk of losing Medicaid coverage and SNAP losing 9.5 billion meals per year.
What To Know
Led by a diverse array of actors, musicians, and entertainment professionals, the open letter urges lawmakers to protect federal food aid and health care for the most vulnerable.
The letter reads: “Food is a beautiful way humans show care, compassion, and love… It’s a fundamental part of the human experience and a basic right we all deserve.”
L: Producer Matt Damon at the Berlinale International Film Festival on February 15, 2024. R: Scarlett Johansson attends the “Jurassic World Rebirth” New York Premiere on June 23, 2025. L: Producer Matt Damon at the Berlinale International Film Festival on February 15, 2024. R: Scarlett Johansson attends the “Jurassic World Rebirth” New York Premiere on June 23, 2025. Andreas Rentz/Cindy Ord/GETTY
Who Signed The Letter?
The full list of signatories is as follows:
Adina Porter
Alan Cumming
Bianca Lawson
Chrishell Stause
Connie Britton
Dan Bucatinsky
Danai Gurira
Danielle Brooks
Daniella Pineda
David Arquette
Don Johnson
Karen Pittman
Kelvin Beachum
Kristin Chenoweth
Lana Parrilla
Liev Schreiber
Liza Colón-Zayas
Matt Damon
Michael Chiklis
Michelle Williams
Minka Kelly
Nancy Travis
Paul Scheer
Ron Pope
Rosario Dawson
Ryan Eggold
Samantha Harris
Scarlett Johansson
Sheryl Crow
Zayn Malik
Zoey Deutch
Details of Proposed SNAP and Medicaid Cuts
The proposal introduces new work requirements of 80 hours per month for many adult recipients of Medicaid and SNAP, extending to individuals up to age 65. Parents with children over the age of 10 would need to work to remain eligible for food assistance, while those with teenage children would also be subject to the Medicaid work mandate.
It also proposes shifting some of the cost of SNAP benefits to state budgets, which many governors have warned is unaffordable.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Medicaid changes could cause up to 10.9 million Americans to lose coverage, and new SNAP rules could result in 4 million fewer people having access to food benefits.
The cuts are included as part of a larger effort to offset the costs of making President Donald Trump-era tax cuts permanent.
What Happens Next
Congress is expected to vote on the package in the coming weeks, with a deadline set for July 4.
The Senate is expected to revise several parts of the legislation before holding a final vote. If any changes are approved, the bill will be sent back to the House for another vote.
Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson Sign Letter Urging Congress to Reject Proposed Medicaid and SNAP Cuts
Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Michelle Williams, Rosario Dawson and dozens of other Hollywood stars have signed an open letter opposing the proposed budget cuts to America’s Medicaid and SNAP programs. The open letter, published Wednesday morning by non-profit organization Feeding America, calls on Congress to reject the cuts. “This is unacceptable and wrong. It is not how people in this country treat each other when facing hard times,” the open letter says of the impact that Republicans’ budget bill would have on struggling Americans. The new, proposed cuts would take away 9.5 billion of the meals that SNAP provides every year and force hundreds of thousands of Americans off Medicaid. These cuts would represent some of the largest that the programs have ever experienced in U.S. history, the letter says. The letter also includes Alan Cumming, Danai Gurira, Don Johnson, Kristin Chenoweth, Liev Schreiber, Liza Colón-Zayas, Zoey Deutch and musician Zayn Malik.
The open letter, published Wednesday morning by non-profit organization Feeding America, calls on Congress to reject the Medicaid and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) cuts included in senate Republicans’ current, proposed update of the Big Beautiful Bill, the federal spending bill that was narrowly passed by the House of Representatives in May.
“Ongoing high grocery costs mean food is out of reach for so many families, and many of our neighbors simply do not have enough to eat,” the letter states. “They don’t know where their next meal is coming from or if that meal will be enough to nourish and sustain them.”
Americans who currently depend on SNAP and Medicaid include an estimated 15.5 million children and 7.2 million seniors. The new, proposed cuts would take away 9.5 billion of the meals that SNAP provides every year and force hundreds of thousands of Americans off Medicaid. These cuts would represent some of the largest that the programs have ever experienced in U.S. history.
“This is unacceptable and wrong. It is not how people in this country treat each other when facing hard times,” the open letter says of the impact that Republicans’ budget bill would have on struggling Americans. “We call on Congress to reject cuts to these vital programs that help millions put food on their tables and provide access to health care.”
In addition to Damon, Johansson, Williams and Dawson, the letter’s 30 signatories also include Alan Cumming, Danai Gurira, Don Johnson, Kristin Chenoweth, Liev Schreiber, “The Bear” star Liza Colón-Zayas, Sheryl Crow, Zoey Deutch and musician Zayn Malik.
President Trump and his Republican allies have been pushing to hold a final vote on the updated Big Beautiful Bill sooner rather than later. This coming Friday or Saturday have been cited as targeted days for the vote, hence the timing this week of Feeding America’s open letter.
You can read the letter and find the star-studded, full list of its signatories below:
Dear Members of Congress,
We all have powerful memories of sharing meals with friends, with family and even with strangers in moments of celebration, grief or everything in between. Food is a beautiful way humans show care, compassion and love to those around us. It’s a fundamental part of the human experience and a basic right we all deserve.
Ongoing high grocery costs mean food is out of reach for so many families, and many of our neighbors simply do not have enough to eat. They don’t know where their next meal is coming from or if that meal will be enough to nourish and sustain them.
Millions of people in this country, including an estimated 15.5 million children and 7.2 million seniors, rely on programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid to make ends meet. These programs make it possible for them to live more healthily and with dignity, in turn helping communities across America to thrive.
Congress is now considering a bill that would make some of the largest cuts to SNAP and Medicaid in U.S. history – taking 9.5 billions of meals a year through SNAP off the table and pushing hundreds of thousands of people off Medicaid and into food insecurity.
This is unacceptable and wrong. It is not how people in this country treat each other when facing hard times.
We call on Congress to reject cuts to these vital programs that help millions put food on their tables and provide access to health care.
The following have signed this open letter to Congress:
Adina Porter
Alan Cumming
Bianca Lawson
Chrishell Stause
Dan Bucatinsky
Danai Gurira
Danielle Brooks
Daniella Pineda
David Arquette
Don Johnson
Karen Pittman
Kelvin Beachum
Kristin Chenoweth
Lana Parrilla
Liev Schreiber
Liza Colón-Zayas
Matt Damon
Michael Chiklis
Michelle Williams
Minka Kelly
Nancy Travis
Paul Scheer
Ron Pope
Rosario Dawson
Ryan Eggold
Samantha Harris
Scarlett Johansson
Sheryl Crow
Zayn Malik
Zoey Deutch
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/celebrities-sign-open-letter-opposing-medicaid-snap-cuts-full-list-2091016