Reform Jewish Leader Condemns Passage of Devastating Budget Bill

July 3, 2025 - In response to today’s House passage of the budget reconciliation bill, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement: 

"Today’s House passage of the devastating budget reconciliation bill already adopted by the Senate drastically undercuts key safety net programs, leaving millions of Americans to go hungry and get sick, worsening the effects of climate change, and rendering immigrants even more vulnerable. As a Reform Movement committed to lifting up the most vulnerable — the orphan, the widow, and the stranger — this budget reconciliation bill is an immoral erosion of our socioeconomic fabric that will leave tens of thousands to needlessly suffer each year. This legislation does unprecedented damage to core programs that promote health, dignity, and opportunity. It cuts over $1 trillion from Medicaid and Medicare, which will likely result in 17 million people losing their healthcare and is projected to lead countless providers to shut down — including over 200 Planned Parenthood centers. Additionally, more than 5 million Americans are projected to lose food assistance benefits because of hundreds of billions of dollars of reckless cuts to SNAP. At the same time, this bill repeals vital clean energy policies that help heal the climate, lower energy bills, and create hundreds of thousands of jobs. Each of these cuts is paired with unprecedented funding for unjust immigration policies that separate families and detain and deport immigrants. 

The Book of Proverbs reminds us to “speak up, judge righteously, and champion the poor and the needy (31:9).” As a Reform Movement, we must now double-down on our commitments to the sacred work of lifting vulnerable individuals and families now and for future generations."