We Cannot Ignore What’s Coming to Orange County

By Orange County Legislator, Genesis Ramos

We cannot talk or ignore our way out of what’s coming to Orange County.

As Chair of the Human Services Committee, a taxpayer, and a concerned citizen, I cannot stay silent about the disastrous federal bill Congress just passed and what it means for our community. These are not abstract debates in Washington, they are decisions that will land squarely in our backyard, and Orange County will be left to pick up the pieces.

Too often, we scroll past headlines and assume someone else will figure it out. But the truth is this: the responsibility lands here—with our local government, our county budget, and ultimately you, the taxpayer. And the stakes could not be higher.

This is not about so-called “lazy people playing video games.” That’s a myth. One in four Orange County residents—26%—rely on Medicaid. In New York, 15% of Medicaid recipients are veterans. Many are working people, caregivers, or individuals with disabilities. The rhetoric doesn’t match reality, but the consequences are about to get very real.

SNAP cuts won’t just take food off the table, they will hit our schools and county budget. New York is rolling out universal free lunch this year, but SNAP and Medicaid data still determine school funding. When parents lose benefits, kids and classrooms lose resources.
The dependent age exemption drops from 18 to 14, forcing more parents into work requirements, even though childcare funding in Orange County is already tapped out at this time and we will most likely continue to run into this funding issue. And the costs don’t stop there: in 2026, the federal share of SNAP administration drops from 50% to 25%—a $2.1 million hit to our county budget. By 2027, the cost of benefits themselves—about $15 million every year for Orange County—will likely shift to the county.

These cuts don’t disappear. They land right here. Either way, you will pay.

Medicaid and CHIP changes slash retroactive coverage from 90 days to 60, then 30. That means if you or your loved one ends up in the ER, a nursing home, or rehab, you could be stuck with crushing medical bills simply because the paperwork didn’t move fast enough.

Medical debt is already the number one cause of bankruptcy in America, and these cuts will make it worse.

On top of that, Medicaid recertification will now happen every six months instead of once a year, doubling caseloads and overwhelming our Department of Social Services. That means more staff, more strain, and more cost. And it means more people falling through the cracks. Either way, you will pay.

And make no mistake: this is the largest unfunded federal mandate ever dropped on counties. We’ve heard the phrase “unfunded mandate” when talking about Albany. This is worse—by orders of magnitude.

Most of us are one accident, one diagnosis, or one job loss away from needing these services. This isn’t about “them.” It’s about us.

The bill targets legal immigrants with humanitarian protections, those who “did it the right way” by restricting their access to Medicaid. It also imposes Medicaid co-pays for the first time in history for certain medical services. Together, these changes prove what many of us already know: this has never been about fairness. It’s about dismantling the safety net and shifting costs onto local communities like ours.

The bill doesn’t just strip away healthcare and nutrition for millions—it also adds $3.3 trillion to the national debt while making billionaires richer. That is the real redistribution of wealth.

Politics always become local. We will be the ones forced to solve the fallout—deciding whether to cut services, raise taxes, or raid the county surplus. Silence, neutrality, or ambivalence is not an option.

The question is simple: will we fight, or will we fold?

Orange County deserves leadership with a spine, a conscience, and urgency. The next Legislature will make budget and policy decisions that shape our county for decades. Don’t wait until it’s too late to pay attention. Don’t just vote every four years—vote every year, because local leadership matters more than ever.

I will continue to bring forward facts, not spin, and push for real solutions. Because while billionaires cash in, and local leaders stay silent, it’s our community, our children, our veterans, our taxpayers—all of us—who stand to lose the most.