Testimony

State Lawmakers Should Protect Residents from Federal Cuts to Vital Services

NJPP Research Team pens an open letter urging state lawmakers to take steps toward protecting vital programs facing federal cuts.

By , , ,

Published on Aug 7, 2025 in Economic Justice, Tax and Budget

TO: New Jersey State Senate and Assembly
FROM: New Jersey Policy Perspective
DATE: August 7, 2025
SUBJECT: Federal Threats to State Affordability, Essential Services, and Budget Integrity

The recent signing of budget reconciliation bill H.R. 1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) will have far-reaching and devastating consequences for New Jersey. Combined with other federal rules that are being rapidly rewritten — such as the Marketplace Program Integrity Final Rule  — the new law destroys federal funding for critical programs on which the state depends to support residents building their futures and raising their families in the Garden State.

Coming cuts to Medicaid, restrictions on access to affordable health coverage through the GetCovered NJ marketplace, cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), increased costs for student loan borrowers, cuts to climate programs, and increased funding for immigrant detention will harm Garden State families and threaten affordability and the state budget for years to come. Some changes will take effect immediately, while others will create destructive gaps in future state budgets.

Now is the time for lawmakers to protect New Jersey by strengthening our state reserves, identifying new funding sources, and taking proactive protective steps to maintain essential services for residents. Governor Murphy has ordered departments to study the effects of these actions. Some departments warned during this year’s state budget discussions about the coming budget holes and loss of coverage. Lawmakers must recognize these urgent deadlines and act quickly and decisively to prevent the harm to New Jersey families.

Below is a timeline of the most important dates for impending changes that will result in loss of health care coverage, worsened food insecurity, reduced affordability, and increased threats to immigrant communities.

Sincerely,

The New Jersey Policy Perspective Research Team

Brittany Holom-Trundy, Research Director
Alex Ambrose, Climate and Transportation Policy Analyst
Peter Chen, Tax and Budget Senior Policy Analyst
Marleina Ubel, Criminal Legal Systems and Immigrant Rights Senior Policy Analyst

 

Authors

  • Alex Ambrose, Policy Analyst, researches policies with a focus on climate justice and transportation.

    Prior to NJPP, Alex served as Policy Associate at the Association of NJ Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) and Policy Assistant at New Jersey League of Conservation Voters (NJLCV). In those roles, she worked on policy and legislation to protect clean water, preserve open space, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions with an emphasis on equity. Most recently, she worked to pass plastic pollution legislation including the statewide single-use bag ban.

    Alex currently serves as the Chair of Clinton Township Environmental Commission and is pursuing her Master's in Public Administration at Rutgers University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources from Rutgers University with a minor in Environmental Geomatics.

    Email: ambrose@njpp.org |
    Follow Alex on Twitter

  • Peter Chen, Senior Policy Analyst, has worked on child and family policy advocacy in New Jersey since 2014. Most recently, he coordinated New Jersey’s nonprofit campaign for a complete count of the 2020 Census. Additionally, Peter has written reports on topics including: childhood lead poisoning prevention, chronic absenteeism from school, teacher certification, and summer meals.

    Prior to New Jersey Policy Perspective, Peter was Policy Counsel at Advocates for Children of New Jersey, where he also served as a Skadden Fellow from 2014-16. Peter received his JD from Yale Law School and his Bachelors of Arts from Indiana University-Bloomington. He served as a law clerk for Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

  • Brittany L. Holom-Trundy, Ph.D., Research Director, is a researcher and lecturer whose interests include health care system reform, the differential impact of health policies across socioeconomic groups, and the role of social and cultural factors in the access to and use of health care services.

  • Marleina Ubel, State Policy Fellow, has been a dedicated advocate for underrepresented groups throughout her academic career. She began her undergraduate work at Valencia College and earned a transfer scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she earned a B.A. in Philosophy. As a PIKSI fellow, she spent a summer at MIT challenging demographic disparities in institutions of higher learning. She is currently pursuing her M.S.W. in Management and Policy at Rutgers University. Her most recent research has focused on the negative impacts of public policy on low-income fathers. Marleina lives in Lambertville with her husband and daughter.
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