Alabama Arise and Birmingham Indivisible will co-host a community town hall this Saturday to warn the public about potential federal budget cuts that could severely impact food assistance and health care access for hundreds of thousands of Alabamians.
The event, titled “Lives at Risk: People’s Town Hall,” will be held May 31 at 11 a.m. at East Lake United Methodist Church. It is free and open to the public and the media.
This comes in response to a budget bill recently passed by the U.S. House that proposes sweeping cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid and subsidies through HealthCare.gov. If passed by the Senate, the legislation could force Alabama to shoulder nearly $300 million annually in SNAP costs—expenses the federal government has historically covered. Without state intervention, the bill could lead to drastic reductions in benefits or even a shutdown of the SNAP program for nearly 800,000 Alabamians.
The bill also threatens to eliminate enhanced federal subsidies that have helped lower the cost of health coverage. In addition, it would block the state from receiving a $619 million federal incentive to expand Medicaid to cover low-income adults—a move health advocates say is crucial for stabilizing rural hospitals and improving long-term health outcomes.
Speakers at the town hall will include community advocates, policy experts and directly impacted residents. The lineup includes Jenn Gray of Birmingham Indivisible; Debbie Smith, Cover Alabama campaign director at Alabama Arise; and LaTrell Clifford Wood, hunger policy advocate for Alabama Arise.
Attendees will receive updates on the status of the legislation, learn how these proposals would affect local families and health systems, and hear guidance on how to advocate for protecting and expanding access to essential services.
The event will take place at East Lake United Methodist Church, located at 7753 1st Ave. S. in Birmingham, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
