Rhode Island is at a breaking point. Across the state, Rhode Islanders are experiencing crisis-level shortages of affordable childcare, housing, and elder care, as well as a shortage of primary care doctors, and one of the highest rates of chronic homelessness in the country. At the same time, Rhode Islanders are also struggling to manage sharp increases in the cost of goods and healthcare, and service cuts to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).
We appreciate the steps the Governor and the RI General Assembly have taken to address each of these issues. Unfortunately, for many, simply meeting basic needs has become an impossible challenge. The federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA aka H.R.1), passed on July 4, 2025, will violently strip assistance from 53,000 Rhode Islanders who will lose health insurance and up to 14,000 who are at risk of losing SNAP – all to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest.
A coalition of 24 Rhode Island policy experts and community organizations came together to assess what’s at stake and propose solutions. The findings are clear and alarming: without intervention, OBBBA will cause widespread harm to families, communities, and the systems that sustain them.