House Appropriations Committee Approves Cuts to Navigator Grants

Washington, DC – Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee marked up the FY2019 Labor-H Appropriations bill and reported the bill out of committee by a party line vote. The bill doubles down on the Trump Administration’s willful unraveling of the Affordable Care Act by eliminating funding for ACA Navigator grants. This legislation is also a missed opportunity to increase investment in vital programs for students like the Pell Grant and deviates from the bipartisan agreement in the Senate.

Reid Setzer, Government Affairs Director of Young Invincibles, issued the following statement:

“Given the allocation the committee received and the previous levels established by the spending deal earlier this year, we’re disappointed to see the proposed cuts in this legislation. Eliminating funding to the Affordable Care Act Navigator program would be devastating to the millions of Americans seeking the information and assistance they need to enroll in a health care plan that works for them. These are policies that will result in fewer people having access to care and must be fought at every turn.

Additionally, the elimination of funding to allow otherwise qualified individuals to access Public Service Loan Forgiveness and the failure of the committee to increase the max Pell award are disappointing decisions. Young Invincibles is happy to see no cuts to the max Pell Grant and the reversal of an earlier proposed cut to funding for CCAMPIS, which helps student-parents succeed on campus, although much more funding is required to serve the needs of that growing population. A bipartisan solution must be reached that reverses these cuts and increases investments in all programs that serve students and young people during the upcoming budget process.”