YWCA USA CEO Margaret Mitchell Issues Statement on Passage of the So-Called "One Beautiful Bill Act" in the U.S. House of Representative

Washington, D.C. — July 3 2025 — YWCA USA CEO Margaret Mitchell issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the so-called One Beautiful Bill Act, which passed with a vote of 218-214 on party lines:

“As the CEO of YWCA USA—an organization dedicated to advancing equity and supporting more than 190  YWCA Local Associations across 45 states and the District of Columbia—I am deeply disheartened by the U.S. House’s decision to pass a reconciliation bill that so blatantly deprioritizes the real, human needs of millions of people across this nation.

Let me be clear: Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) are not luxuries—they are lifelines. These programs ensure that families have food on the table and access to essential health care. Taking that away—especially while adding new, complex, and burdensome eligibility requirements—will have a severe and immediate impact on the women, children and families that we serve every day.

Furthermore, the provisions that make it harder for people here legally and lawfully to access nutrition and health supports, including SNAP, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)—is a dangerous rollback that will disproportionately impact women and children.

Equally alarming is the inclusion of a measure to defund Planned Parenthood, putting nearly 200 health centers across the country at risk of closure. These centers provide critical health services—including cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, birth control, and reproductive health care—to millions of people, particularly those in underserved and rural areas. Removing access to these essential services puts more lives in jeopardy and further erodes the already fragile health care safety net in this country.

YWCA Local Associations are on the frontlines, providing support to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, parents and caregivers relying on child care and early learning programs to remain in the workforce, veterans, seniors and individuals with disabilities. This legislation not only jeopardizes their access to basic needs—it places additional strain on already under-resourced community-based organizations expected to fill the gap.

The consequences of this bill are not abstract. They are real. A child will go to bed hungry. A family will skip a meal to make rent. A senior will go without a life-saving prescription. These are not policy tradeoffs—they are human losses.

Moreover, these cuts come on top of illegal freezes to previously allocated federal funds and the continued erosion of public investment in nonprofit service organizations like YWCA. This bill further weakens the already fragile safety nets that millions depend on, while providing no additional support to those left to shoulder the consequences.

And yet, as we have for 167 years, YWCA will continue to do the work. We will continue to stand in the gap and serve the women, children and families who are the backbone of this nation. Where Congress has faltered, YWCA will hold the line—and we will continue to fight for the just and equitable future that all of us deserve.”