Yesterday, Protect Our Care joined a press call with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to call on Republicans to abandon their proposal to gut Medicaid in order to fund tax breaks for the wealthy. Republican lawmakers are preparing to enact the largest Medicaid cuts in U.S. history, threatening the health and financial security of millions of Americans.
During the call, the governors highlighted the devastating consequences these cuts would have on families in their states and across the country. From Kentucky to Hawaii, Medicaid is a lifeline. These Republican cuts would throw seniors out of nursing homes, shutter community health clinics and rural hospitals, take away critical resources for fighting the opioid crisis, and jeopardize the health care of half of America’s children and so many more. The governors made it clear: Medicaid must be protected – not sacrificed to fund giveaways for the wealthy.
Headlines:
USA Today/Courier Journal: Gov. Andy Beshear: Medicaid cuts would be an ‘attack on rural America’
- Beshear focused on the potential effects Medicaid cuts could have on rural areas in Kentucky and nationwide, saying any cuts could decrease access and impact jobs. “The rural hospital is the second largest employer behind the public school system,” Beshear said. “Massive cuts to Medicaid would shut down that hospital system, would shut down clinics, so not just impacting access to care but ending hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs in certain communities and impacting jobs all across rural America.”
- “Medicaid covers the people that we love the most in this world, our parents and our kids,” Beshear said. “… Massive cuts to Medicaid is an attack on rural America, and if they do it, these Republican representatives and senators are saying they don’t believe that the people of rural America deserve the same access to health care as those in urban America.”
Lexington Herald Leader: Beshear, Democratic governors decry GOP proposal to “gut” Medicaid funding
- “Medicaid covers the people we love most in this world: our parents and our kids,” Beshear said. “Half of Kentucky’s kids are covered by Medicaid. Gutting Medicaid would impact families in a substantial way. It would devastate and potentially end rural health care, (which) cannot survive without Medicaid.”
- “Whether it’s the human argument, because of how people will be impacted negatively . . . or the economic argument,” Beshear said. “Many of our Republican representatives and state senators are in districts where health care workers won’t exist if these Medicaid cuts happen.” Rural hospitals are “one of the largest employers in Hal Rogers’ district . . . (and) some of the most important economic drivers out there,” he said.
- “Significant cuts to the Medicaid program will directly affect Kansans across the state, regardless of their political views. These cuts would be particularly detrimental to our rural hospitals and providers,” Kelly said.
- “Congress is not trying to balance the budget or reduce deficits,” Kelly said. “Or, if they are, they certainly shouldn’t be doing (that) on the backs of our most vulnerable people. There are other ways to look for efficiencies in government.”
Albuquerque Journal: Governor taking on higher-visibility role as federal budget fight deepens
- The governor on Tuesday described GOP proposals to reduce federal Medicaid spending as a “despicable effort” during a virtual press event with three other Democratic governors.
- “It is in fact an all-out assault on America’s health care system,” said the governor, who also warned of the harmful impact of Trump’s promised tariffs on imported prescription drugs.