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Trump’s War on Health Care: Public Health Watch

“They’re dismantling and destroying everything” – Public Health Under Siege

Welcome to Public Health Watch, a weekly roundup from Protect Our Care tracking catastrophic activity as part of Donald Trump’s sweeping war on health care. From installing anti-vaccine zealot RFK Jr. as Secretary of HHS to empowering Elon Musk to make indiscriminate cuts to our public health infrastructure, including the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, Donald Trump is endangering the lives of millions of Americans. Protect Our Care’s Public Health Watch will shine a spotlight on the worst of the Trump/RFK/Musk war on vaccines, science and public health and serve as a resource for the press, public and advocacy groups to hold them accountable. 

What’s Happening In Public Health?

Catastrophic Cuts Are Creating Chaos And Endangering Americans’ Health And Scientific Innovation

Stat: Trump proposes billions in cuts to federal health agencies from NIH to CDC President Trump on Friday proposed massive cuts to the federal government’s health agencies in his 2026 budget request, arguing that Congress should reduce spending by tens of billions from current levels. The request would be a 26% cut to the Department of Health and Human Services’ discretionary budget, which doesn’t include spending on health coverage programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The administration justified proposed cuts across HHS by saying programs are duplicative, overly ideological, or better left to the states — despite many of them being supported in the first Trump administration and many previous Republican administrations.

  • New York Times: Trump’s Budget Cuts Funding for Chronic Disease Prevention Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s health secretary, has said that tackling a chronic disease “epidemic” would be a cornerstone of his Make America Healthy Again agenda, often invoking alarming statistics as an urgent reason for reforming public health in this country. On Friday, President Trump released a proposed budget that called for cutting the funding of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by almost half. Its chronic disease center was slated for elimination entirely, a proposal that came as a shock to many state and city health officials. “Most Americans have some sort of ailment that could be considered chronic,” said Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis, health director for the city of St. Louis. Of the proposed cuts, she said, “How do you reconcile that with trying to make America healthy again?”

CBS: HHS redirects $500 million to Trump appointee’s vaccine project, bypassing reviews  The Department of Health and Human Services has transferred $500 million from research into next-generation COVID-19 vaccines, redirecting the money to a single vaccine project linked to the Trump administration’s former acting head of the National Institutes of Health. Multiple federal health officials said they were surprised by the announcement, which bypassed the usual procedures overseen by career scientists at the NIH and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, known as BARDA. Those reviews are intended to ensure that federal research money goes to the projects with the greatest scientific merit.  The HHS says the initiative, dubbed “Generation Gold Standard,” aims to start clinical trials next year for universal influenza vaccines that could protect against any strain of the virus. It hopes to get a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration by 2029. All of the money is being transferred to an influenza vaccine project called beta-propiolactone or BPL, according to emails seen by CBS News. Two officials said the decision to pour $500 million into a single vaccine platform is unusual, given the limited data on it.  The transfer makes it effectively one of the largest awards to date from a BARDA effort to speed funding to new experimental vaccines and treatments, topping a previous award of $452 million to a company developing an experimental oral COVID-19 vaccine.

  • Stat: Scientists question NIH project’s use of 20th century technology to make a universal flu vaccine When word broke this week that the Department of Health and Human Services was investing half-a-billion dollars on a National Institutes of Health project to develop a vaccine platform for pathogens that could trigger pandemics, a number of scientists who work in the field of vaccinology had decidedly mixed feelings. That HHS and NIH are going to continue to invest in efforts to make vaccines that could reduce the impact of future pandemics was good news, many thought. But why spend so much money on using whole killed viruses — an approach pioneered in the last century — as the basis of the vaccines? “I was confused by the messaging, because it is a 70-year-old technology,” said one scientist who works in vaccine development, noting this was the method used by Jonas Salk to create the world’s first polio vaccine in the early 1950s. Another scientist familiar with the scope of research that is being done to try to develop a so-called universal flu vaccine to protect against a range of dangerous strains — like H5N1 bird flu — was blunt. “There is incredible work going on. This is not it.”

Science: NIH under siege In NIH entryways, recently installed portraits of Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and new NIH Director Jayanta “Jay” Bhattacharya have become a forum for silent protests. A photo of tanks rolling through Tiananmen Square during China’s 1989 student uprising was briefly plastered below one set of visages. On a different wall on another day, flyers appeared for a nationwide protest of Trump’s science cuts along with a Post-it note with the word “Shame.” A staff memo sent out the day a Science reporter visited warned of penalties for “damage or destruction of federal property” including “defacement of portraits.” A researcher who has spent more than 2 decades with NIH’s intramural research program believes the world’s largest biomedical agency will never be the same. ‘However bad everyone on the outside thinks it is, it is a million times worse. They’re dismantling and destroying everything.’  Along with firing about 2500 of the agency’s 20,000-strong federal workforce and pushing others to retire, Trump officials have used what some call “bureaucratic sabotage” in ways that likely explain why NIH has disbursed at least $1.8 billion less in funding to outside researchers in this administration’s first 3 months than it did in the same time period in 2024. They have canceled more than 800 grants on topics such as HIV research, transgender health, and vaccine hesitancy. NIH, at HHS’s behest, also tried to impose a crippling cut in the overhead payments made to universities that carry out grant-funded research. More disruption looms, including HHS-demanded cuts to billions of dollars in contracts that fund key support staff and research centers and a White House proposal due any day now that will likely aim to slash up to 44% from NIH’s $47.4 billion budget and overhaul its structure. An agency that once had strong bipartisan support and was seen as the crown jewel of U.S. science, and the envy of the world, now faces a diminished, uncertain future.

Wired: RFK Jr.’s HHS Orders Lab Studying Deadly Infectious Diseases to Stop Research A research facility within the US National Institutes of Health that is tasked with studying Ebola and other deadly infectious diseases has been instructed by the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to stop research activities. According to an email viewed by WIRED, the Integrated Research Facility in Frederick, Maryland, was told to stop all experimental work by April 29 at 5 pm. The facility is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and is located at the US Army base Fort Detrick. It conducts research on the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases that are deemed “high consequence”—those that pose significant risks to public health. It has 168 employees, including federal workers and contractors.

Health Impacts:

Local Impacts: 

Chaotic Firings and Re-Hirings:

Cruel and Destructive Policy Changes:

The FDA Is Being Dismantled – Stalling Drug Development And Leaving Us Vulnerable To Food-Borne Illness 

Stat: How RFK Jr.’s vaccine criticism is taking hold at the FDA When Marty Makary was tapped to lead the Food and Drug Administration, public health experts hoped the Johns Hopkins physician would shield the agency from the vaccine criticism of his boss, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  So far, that hasn’t been the case. Instead, Makary seems just as willing to use his power and position to more harshly scrutinize vaccines and to shift vaccination policy.  Over the weekend, he signaled that the FDA may depart from longstanding precedent by requiring Covid vaccine makers to submit new effectiveness data before adjusting their products for new strains — a regulatory hurdle that could leave people unprotected from new versions of the disease.  It’s the latest in a series of events illustrating that the FDA is not immune to broader vaccine skepticism in the Trump administration. Kennedy’s history as a prominent vaccine critic nearly derailed his confirmation to lead the Health and Human Services Department. Makary’s confirmation process, by contrast, was relatively seamless, and he faced few questions from lawmakers on vaccines.

NOTUS: FDA Leaves the Door Open to Reimposing Restrictions on Abortion Pills The Food and Drug Administration is leaving the door open to reimposing restrictions on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, following calls from anti-abortion advocates and conservative leaders for the agency to reconsider its decades-old approval of the medication. Sen. Josh Hawley, a staunch anti-abortion ally, wrote Monday to the FDA’s commissioner, Marty Makary, demanding that the agency “take all appropriate action to restore critical safeguards on the use of mifepristone” following the release of a study on the drug from the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center. Asked if the FDA would consider Hawley’s request, an agency spokesperson said: “The FDA is committed to safeguarding public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and quality of the products it regulates. The agency rigorously evaluates the latest scientific data, leveraging gold standard science to make informed decisions.” The spokesperson then referred NOTUS to a comment Makary made at a Semafor event last week where he said, “There is an ongoing set of data,” on mifepristone. “If the data suggests something or tells us that there’s a real signal, we can’t promise we’re not going to act on that data,” Makary said.

Additional FDA News: 

RFK Jr. Is An Extreme MAGA Anti-Vaxxer Who’s Breaking His “Assurances” To Key Republicans To Get Confirmed And Mis-Managing HHS 

New York Times: Kennedy Issues Demands for Vaccine Approvals That Could Affect Fall Covid Boosters Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday announced plans to require all new vaccines to be tested against placebos and to develop new vaccines without using mRNA technology, moves that extend his reach deep into vaccine development and raise questions about whether Covid boosters will be available in the fall. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services called the requirement for placebo testing “a radical departure” from existing standards. But that will depend on how the department defines “new,” because most new vaccines are already tested either against placebos — inert substances — or, in some cases, against vaccines for other diseases. Mr. Kennedy is one of the nation’s leading vaccine skeptics, and he has been vocal about his disdain for mRNA technology, which was used to develop coronavirus vaccines during the first Trump administration. He once wrote on social media that “mRNA jabs don’t stop infection, don’t block transmission, don’t block mutants, don’t last, don’t work at all.”

New York Times: Kennedy Orders Search for New Measles Treatments Instead of Urging Vaccination With the United States facing its largest single measles outbreak in 25 years, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will direct federal health agencies to explore potential new treatments for the disease, including vitamins, according to an H.H.S. spokesman. The decision is the latest in a series of actions by the nation’s top health official that experts fear will undermine public confidence in vaccines as an essential public health tool. The announcement comes as Mr. Kennedy faces intense backlash for his handling of the outbreak. It has swept through large areas of the Southwest where vaccination rates are low, infecting hundreds and killing two young girls. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 930 cases nationwide, most of which are associated with the Southwest outbreak. Critics have said Mr. Kennedy has focused too much on untested treatments — such as cod liver oil supplements — and offered only muted support for the measles vaccine, which studies show is 97 percent effective in preventing infection. The decision to put more resources into potential treatments, rather than urging vaccination, could have grave consequences at the center of the outbreak. “We don’t want to send the signal that you don’t have to get vaccinated because there’s just a way to get rid of it,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Brown University School of Public Health.

NBC: Kennedy planning $20 million HHS ‘Take Back Your Health’ ad campaign Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to launch a sweeping, four-year public relations campaign called “Take Back Your Health” that could cost tens of millions of dollars, according to a document obtained by NBC News.  Kennedy is conducting sweeping budget cuts that could eliminate 10,000 jobs and several HHS divisions, including global health and domestic HIV prevention. The document, a request for proposals, calls for public relations firms to bid to run the campaign. The winning firm would employ up to 30 people to manage the campaign and oversee the purchase of up to three ads a day on five major television networks.  The total dollar amount for the campaign is not listed in the document. A person familiar with the campaign said labor costs are expected to be at least $20 million and estimated that television and digital ad purchases could cost tens of millions over the next four years. An HHS official praised the initiative. “Empowering Americans with the knowledge to make healthy decisions is central to HHS’s mission. Our upcoming ad campaign is both an investment in our nation’s wellbeing and a commitment to Make America Healthy Again,” the official said in a statement.

New York Times: Kennedy Advises New Parents to ‘Do Your Own Research’ on Vaccines Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advised parents of newborns to “do your own research” before vaccinating their infants during a televised interview in which he also suggested the measles shot was unsafe and repeatedly made false statements that cast doubt on the benefits of vaccination and the independence of the Food and Drug Administration. Mr. Kennedy made the remarks to the talk show host Dr. Phil in an interview that aired Monday on MeritTV to mark the 100th day of the Trump administration. He said, as he has in the past, that “if you want to avoid spreading measles, the best thing you can do is take that vaccine.” But Mr. Kennedy also made clear, as he has in the past, that he believes it is up to individuals to decide. In suggesting vaccines are unsafe, he contradicted decades of advice from public health experts, including leaders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “I would say that we live in a democracy, and part of the responsibility of being a parent is to do your own research,” the health secretary said, in response to a question from a woman in the audience who asked how he would advise a new parent about vaccine safety. “You research the baby stroller, you research the foods that they’re getting, and you need to research the medicines that they’re taking as well.”

The Guardian: RFK Jr and health agency falsely claim MMR vaccine includes ‘aborted fetus debris’ Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and his department have made a series of misleading statements that alarmed vaccine experts and advocates in recent days – including that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine includes “aborted fetus debris”. Health department officials released statements saying they could alter vaccine testing and build new “surveillance systems” on Wednesday, both of which have unnerved experts who view new placebo testing as potentially unethical. “It’s his goal to even further lessen trust in vaccines and make it onerous enough for manufacturers that they will abandon it,” said Dr Paul Offit, an expert on infectious disease and immunology and the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, about the statements and Kennedy. “It’s a fragile market.”

USA Today: RFK Jr., pushing curbs on fluoride, says ‘the more you get, the stupider you are’ Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took a fresh swipe at fluoride, saying the chemical used to protect teeth is making Americans ‘stupider’ as he touted his plan to scale it back in the country’s drinking water. ”The more you get, the stupider you are, and we need smart kids in this country, and we need healthy kids,” he said during a cabinet meeting on April 30 with President Donald Trump.

Other MAHA Activities:

RFK’s Autism Plans Draw Widespread Condemnation And Calls For His Resignation 

NBC: Many in Autism Community Say Health Secretary Kennedy Doesn’t Understand Their Needs In just two months on the job, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised the profile of autism more than any recent public official. Autism advocacy groups typically welcome more attention to their cause. But many autistic people say Kennedy is exploiting their community — and perpetuating harmful stereotypes — as part of his decadeslong campaign against vaccines, even as the Trump administration threatens to eliminate services that help people with autism reach their full potential. At an April press conference on autism rates among school-age kids, Kennedy described autism as an epidemic and a “tragedy” that “destroys families.” “These are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use the toilet unassisted,” Kennedy said.  In response, 15 advocacy groups issued a joint statement calling for autistic people to be treated with respect and support. The groups said they are “deeply concerned by growing public rhetoric and policy decisions” that fail to “reflect the inherent value, rights and diverse needs of autistic people.”

Axios: RFK Jr. Autism Data Project Stokes Alarm Over Motives Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s push to collect troves of personal medical data to find the cause of autism has researchers and patient advocates questioning whether his plan to cast a wide net makes it easier to pick and choose information that supports certain theories — including the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. The big picture: The National Institutes of Health has long pushed to include more data collected during health care delivery in its research. Kennedy would put a new twist on that, by combining federal health data, medical records, insurance claims and readouts from wearables into what Health and Human Services calls a “real-world data platform.” The accelerated effort could cut red tape and lead to more effective treatments. Or it could turn scientific research into elaborate cherry-picking, akin to “Just give us everything, and we’ll find what we need.” Gathering huge amounts of data will make it easier to generate “phony evidence for RFK’s predetermined conclusion” that vaccines cause autism, the Autism Self Advocacy Network said in a statement about the research initiative.

Stat: Autism Evaluations Are Being Canceled Over Fears About a National Registry Michael VanPelt spent several weeks recently glued to his telephone, dialing doctors who might be able to get his 3-year-old son in for an autism evaluation. The music teacher ran out of providers who took his health insurance, but luckily the New Jersey public school system provided him with an independent neurologist, who diagnosed his son with autism on April 3.  VanPelt was thrilled. His son — prone to sensory overload and outbursts when deviating from his routine — would finally get the individualized attention he needed. But the father’s excitement quickly curdled to fear in the following weeks, as federal health leaders announced initiatives aimed at finding autism’s origins. “Did we just screw up our child’s life? In seeking to help him, did I just paint a giant target on his back?” he wondered.  For now, VanPelt plans to hold off filing any health insurance claims for his son’s diagnosis. He is not alone. People with autism and parents of autistic kids are asking clinicians to erase their diagnoses and cancelling appointments with medical professionals, according to interviews conducted in recent days at an international autism conference.  Amy Esler, a pediatric psychologist at the University of Minnesota, said she has heard of similar cancellations from peers across the country through the International Collaboration for Diagnostic Evaluation of Autism network, which includes more than 20 major autism care and research centers such as Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Families seeking a pre-diagnosis evaluation from the University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program have removed themselves from the waitlist, according to Hannah Morton, a UNC psychiatry professor. Multiple organizations declined to comment about the issue. The cancellations are driven by panic and distrust among the autism community in response to the recent remarks made by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, researchers and advocates told STAT.

More fallout from RFK Jr.’s autism plans:

GOP State Policymakers Are Following RFK Jr.’s Lead Attacking Vaccines And Proven Public Health Measures

CNN: Texas Attorney General Targets Toothpaste Companies Amid Increased Scrutiny of Fluoride 

The public health practice of adding fluoride to drinking water is facing heavy scrutiny from the Trump administration, and toothpaste companies are being pulled into the fray now, too. The Texas attorney general announced Thursday that he has launched an investigation into two major toothpaste manufacturers – the Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Co., which makes Crest – for “illegally marketing” their products “to parents and children in ways that are misleading, deceptive, and dangerous.” 

Washington Post: Florida Lawmakers Pass Ban on Fluoride in Drinking Water Florida is poised to outlaw fluoride in drinking water under a bill approved Tuesday by the state legislature, adding the state to a growing backlash against a long-standing public health measure. The legislation heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has criticized fluoridation as “forced medication.” His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The effective ban on fluoride is included in a broader farm bill, as a provision to prevent local governments from using additives in drinking water that are necessary to meet safety standards or improve quality. The move would make Florida the second state to ban fluoride after Utah. A prohibition there is scheduled to take effect May 7. The Trump administration is mobilizing to crack down on fluoride nationally, citing evidence of eroding benefits as fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash become widely available, and possible health problems at high concentrations.

Heartland Signal: Minnesota GOP Introduces Second Bill Designating mRNA Vaccines as Weapons of Mass Destruction Republicans in the Minnesota state Senate have introduced Senate File 3456, another bill that attempts to designate mRNA vaccines as weapons of mass destruction in the state. This is the second attempt from Minnesota Republicans after members of the state House introduced a similar bill earlier this month. If either bill were signed into law, anyone who administers an mRNA vaccine would be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a $500 fine. Although the House version was introduced by far-right members of the state Republican Party, House File 3219 was largely written by Joseph Sansone, a practicing hypnotist in Florida.

Public Health Threats

Associated Press: CDC Reports 216 Child Deaths This Flu Season, the Most in 15 Years More U.S. children have died this flu season than at any time since the swine flu pandemic 15 years ago, according to a federal report released Friday. The 216 pediatric deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eclipse the 207 reported last year. It’s the most since the 2009-2010 H1N1 global flu pandemic. It’s a startlingly high number, given that the flu season is still going on. The final pediatric death tally for the 2023-2024 flu season wasn’t counted until autumn. “This number that we have now is almost certainly an undercount, and one that — when the season is declared over, and they compile all the data — it’s almost certain to go up,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, of the American Academy of Pediatrics. There are likely several contributors to this season’s severity, but a big one is that fewer children are getting flu shots, added O’Leary, a University of Colorado pediatric infectious diseases specialist.

CBS: Weekly Measles Cases Hit New Record Amid Worst Outbreak Since 1990s Weekly measles cases have set a new record, according to figures published Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, topping the peak of an outbreak in 2019 that ranked as the worst since the 1990s. The number of cases that had their symptoms start during the week of March 30 has grown to 111, according to the agency’s latest update. Authorities backdate newly reported measles cases based on when their rash began, to account for delays in reporting and diagnosis.  That tops the 102 cases reported for the week of March 23, 2019, at the height of that year’s wave. By the end of 2019, measles cases that year added up to the largest annual tally since endemic spread of the virus was declared eliminated in 2000.

  • Houston Chronicle: Texas Measles Outbreak Rises to 683 Cases, Spreads to Three New Counties The measles outbreak centered in northwest Texas grew to 683 cases and spread to three new counties on Friday, according to health officials. The latest update from the Texas Department of State Health Services adds 20 new cases since the agency’s last update on Tuesday. Upshur, Eastland and Hardeman counties all reported their first cases associated with the outbreak. So far 89 people have been hospitalized for treatment and two children, an 8-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl, died after contracting the virus. Neither child had received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, and they did not have any underlying medical conditions, according to the DSHS.

Bloomberg: US Vaccine Watchdog Effort Begins as Measles Surge Draws Alarm The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota has quietly begun to steer a national initiative to safeguard the scientific foundations of US vaccine policy — a bold move at a time of mounting political interference and an escalating measles outbreak. Funded by a $240,000 gift from Alumbra, a foundation established by Walmart Inc. heiress Christy Walton, the so-called Vaccine Integrity Project will explore how independent groups, including scientists, doctors and public health organizations, can help uphold science-based vaccine guidance if government groups are weakened by political pressure or resource cuts.

Financial Times: Scientists Urge Trump Administration to Fight Threat of Bird Flu Pandemic The US should step up efforts to combat its year-long bird H5N1 flu outbreak and control the pandemic risk to people, an international group of virologists has warned. The high historical human mortality rate from H5N1 suggests “the terrible consequences of underreacting to current threats”, say human and animal virologists from the Global Virus Network spanning more than 40 countries. Their intervention on Tuesday highlights alarm at the proliferation of the H5N1 avian pathogen now detected in poultry in all 50 US states, infecting scores of people and causing at least one confirmed death. They also raise concerns about the impact of turmoil in US scientific institutions on H5N1 surveillance efforts, as the Trump administration pushes through spending cuts and curbs communications. In an article in the journal The Lancet Regional Health — Americas, the scientists call on governments around the world to enhance surveillance, implement biosecurity measures and prepare for potential people-to-people spread.

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ADVISORY: Protect Our Care to Fly Plane Over Kentucky Derby, Telling Brett Guthrie “Hands Off Medicaid”

 ***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR SATURDAY MAY 3***

As Chair of the House E&C Committee, Brett Guthrie Is Leading the Charge to Slash Medicaid and Rip Health Care Away From Millions

Washington, D.C. — On Saturday, Protect Our Care will fly a plane over the Kentucky Derby, the most-watched and most-attended horse race in the United States, telling Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Representative Brett Guthrie (R-KY-02) to reject any cuts to Medicaid. The plane will carry a banner reading “Tell Brett Guthrie: Hands Off Medicaid!”

Next week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce will be drawing up plans to kick millions of Americans off their coverage by slashing federal funding for Medicaid, limiting how states can fund Medicaid, and adding burdensome paperwork requirements to keep coverage. Medicaid cuts could spell doom for millions, ripping health care away from seniors, children with disabilities, pregnant women, and hardworking families across the country. The latest research shows that, under the Republican scheme, more than 20 million could lose coverage and 34,200 will die each year.

SKY BILLBOARD DISPLAY

WHAT: Plane fly-over with banner 

WHEN: Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 2 PM to 6 PM ET

WHERE: Churchill Downs Racetrack, 700 Central Ave, Louisville, KY

BACKGROUND

FACT SHEET: Rep. Brett Guthrie Spreads Falsehoods To Kentuckians While Slashing Medicaid

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HEADLINES: Republicans Are Running Scared As Details of Their Medicaid Cuts Spark Outrage

Republicans in Congress who have been moving to gut Medicaid have hit a roadblock: outrage from the American people who are fed up with the GOP. According to analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Republicans cannot achieve their savings targets without deeply cutting Medicaid, which would throw 23.3 million Americans off their health coverage and kill 34,200 people each year.

The American people know Medicaid is a lifeline for their family, friends, and neighbors and have taken to town halls, rallies, and protests about it. Poll after poll after poll – even Trump’s own pollster – have confirmed this is completely out of step with the American people with broad opposition across party lines to any cuts to Medicaid. Now as Republicans must determine exactly how they will slash Medicaid, the party is running scared. 

Politico: GOP Delays Budget Markup Amidst Backlash to Medicaid Cuts.

  • “House GOP leaders are pushing Energy and Commerce Committee’s megabill markup another week as Republicans try to resolve lingering issues over spending cuts to Medicaid… One of the key issues remaining is how far Republicans go to implement a controversial proposal to cap federal Medicaid payments to states, as leaders try to work through various estimates about savings, according to two other people with direct knowledge.”

The Hill: House Republicans are in Disarray Over Disagreements to Catastrophic Medicaid Cuts.

  • “[O]n Thursday, the panel informed members that it is now eyeing a markup the week of May 12, a committee source told The Hill… The delay comes after a week of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) holding meetings with a cross-section of House Republicans, which failed to help reach consensus on potential cuts to Medicaid.”
  • “The delayed markup deals a blow to Johnson, who was pushing to wrap up all markups next week… The budget resolution, which lays out parameters for crafting the final Trump agenda bill, directs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to find at least $880 billion in cuts, a figure that scorekeepers say cannot be reached without changes to Medicaid, which centrists are adamantly opposed to.”

The Washington Examiner: House Republicans Delay Markup Vote After Meeting With the White House.

  • “Two major House hearings to look at President Donald Trump’s ‘one big, beautiful bill’ were delayed after Thursday’s White House meeting… Following the budget framework passing last month, committee leaders tasked with leading sections of the reconciliation package met with lawmakers throughout this week, as several Republicans have expressed concerns over how the GOP can find $1.5 trillion in spending cuts without slashing Medicaid benefits, leaving the House Energy and Commerce markup expected to draw a heated debate.”

Punchbowl News: Infighting About Medicaid Cuts Leads to GOP Delaying Markup Vote.

  • “The House Republican leadership has delayed three critical markups on President Donald Trump’s reconciliation package as internal party squabbles have hobbled the GOP’s ability to move quickly… Despite working on the policy behind the scenes for nearly a year to find party consensus, the massive GOP package remains in flux. Huge disagreements over key policy issues remain.”

Politico: Republicans Tap the Breaks With a Surprise E&C Delay.

  • “The decision comes after Speaker Mike Johnson, E&C Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and other members of the House GOP leadership team ran through Medicaid proposals and other major pieces of the GOP’s party-line domestic policy package with President Donald Trump during a White House meeting Thursday. One key issue remaining is how far Republicans will go to implement a controversial proposal to cap federal Medicaid payments to states as leaders try to work through various estimates about savings, according to two other people with direct knowledge of the matter.”
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Following GOP Markup Meltdown, Protect Our Care Extends Ad Campaign In Key Districts Urging Republicans to Abandon Their Devastating Cuts to Medicaid to Fund Tax Cuts

Protect Our Care Is Extending Its Ad Campaign Highlighting the Devastating Impact Republicans’ Medicaid Cuts Would Have on Millions of Families

View the Bannon Ads Here
View the Josephine Ads Here

Washington, D.C. – As Republicans stall their wildly unpopular budget reconciliation, Protect Our Care is extending its television and digital ad campaign to highlight widespread opposition to the Republican plan to slash billions from Medicaid. The delay came as the committees were preparing to outline how the House GOP will slash Medicaid and take health care away from tens of millions of Americans to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. Facing pushback and public outcry over their scheme to gut Medicaid, Republicans have continually pushed falsehoods and misled their constituents.

The ads, which are part of Protect Our Care’s ongoing 10-million-dollar “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign, target 10 key Representatives who Mike Johnson and Donald Trump are squeezing to deliver tax breaks for the rich at the expense of everyday Americans. The first ad features Trump loyalist and MAGA cheerleader Steve Bannon, warning Republicans to be “careful” because there are “a lot of MAGAs on Medicaid.” In the second ad, Josephine, a conservative voter and grandmother to a little boy with special needs, speaks about how cuts to Medicaid would cause pain for her family and millions of others.

“This GOP markup meltdown is proof that Republicans are unraveling because they know the consequences of making the largest Medicaid cuts in history,” said Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse. “If they move forward, they are playing a dangerous game with the health and livelihoods of tens of millions of people, including children, people with disabilities, seniors, people fighting cancer, and working families. It’s not too late for these members – who know that Medicaid cuts will hurt their constituents and cost them at the ballot box – to put a stop to this and put the needs of regular folks above billionaires and the corporate elite.” 

Each of these ads are running in the following districts: David Schweikert (AZ-01), David Valadao (CA-22), Young Kim (CA-40), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), and Dan Newhouse (WA-04).

Links to each of the 30-second Steve Bannon ads can be found below:

David Schweikert (AZ-01)
David Valadao (CA-22)
Young Kim (CA-40)
Ken Calvert (CA-41)
Nick LaLota (NY-01)
Andrew Garbarino (NY-02)
Mike Lawler (NY-17)
Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07)
Rob Bresnahan (PA-08)
Dan Newhouse (WA-04)

Sample Ad Script for AZ-01:

Fox News Host: “In the bill the Republicans are putting forward, there will be an eight-hundred-eighty billion dollar cut to Medicaid.”

Narrator: Congress wants to cut Medicaid….

Woman at Town Hall: “I’m asking you today, please do not cut the federal Medicaid budget.”

Narrator: ….and people aren’t happy about it.

Man at Town Hall: “You don’t get to take our healthcare – get off me! You don’t get to do this to us!”

Steve Bannon:  “Medicaid you’ve got to be careful, cause a lot of MAGA’s on Medicaid. I’m telling you. If you don’t think so, you’re dead wrong.” 

Narrator: Call Congressman Schweikert and tell him to stop these cuts to Medicaid. 

Links to each of the 30-second Josephine ads can be found below:

David Schweikert (AZ-01)
David Valadao (CA-22)
Young Kim (CA-40)
Ken Calvert (CA-41)
Nick LaLota (NY-01)
Andrew Garbarino (NY-02)
Mike Lawler (NY-17)
Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07)
Rob Bresnahan (PA-08)
Dan Newhouse (WA-04)

Sample Ad Script for PA-08:

Josephine:

My grandson Elijah is the apple of everyone’s eye, everyone that meets Elijah loves him.

But Elijah does have special needs.

If Congress cuts Medicaid, this will affect millions of families, not just children like Elijah.

How many people will live in pain?

I voted Republican last fall, but I don’t understand why they’re doing this

Congressman Bresnahan, we’re counting on you to stop these cuts to Medicaid.

ashoup
In News

GOP In Disarray: Republicans Abandon Markups Following Widespread Opposition to Their Plans to Gut Medicaid

Washington, D.C. – Today, Republican House leadership delayed markup sessions for both the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees that were set for next week. The delay came as the committees were preparing to outline how the House GOP will slash Medicaid and take health care away from tens of millions of Americans. Facing pushback and public outcry over their scheme to gut Medicaid, Republicans have continually pushed falsehoods and misled their constituents. This delay is proof that even lawmakers within the GOP are scared to face the political consequences of making the largest Medicaid cuts in history. Republicans are unraveling because they know that the last time they tried to tear apart America’s health care system to give billionaires tax breaks, it cost them at the ballot box.

In response, Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“Republicans are melting down. They’ve twisted themselves in knots to slash Medicaid to provide tax breaks to the rich, but the American people have said ‘hell no.’ They know their agenda to rip health care from millions of Americans is deeply unpopular and politically perilous. This delay is not the end of the line – Trump and Republicans are hell-bent on slashing taxes for the rich no matter who they hurt or how many lose health care. The so-called moderate Republicans should stand their ground until these cuts are taken off the table for good.” 

BACKGROUND:

THE TRUTH: Every Republican Medicaid Proposal Will Take Health Care Away from Millions To Fund Tax Breaks for the Wealthy

Running Scared: Republicans Scramble To Determine How To Take Away Americans’ Health Care to Fund Tax Breaks for the Wealthy

ashoup
In News

THE TRUTH: Every Republican Medicaid Proposal Will Take Health Care Away from Millions To Fund Tax Breaks for the Wealthy

Republicans are charging ahead with their plan to cut health care in order to hand out tax breaks to the wealthy and big corporations. They want you to believe that they can cut Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars without hurting people. That could not be further from the truth. Every proposal Republicans have brought to the table would rip health care away millions, including seniors in nursing homes, people with disabilities, children, and hardworking families. 

Not one dollar should be cut from Medicaid to pay for a dollar of tax breaks for the rich. The nonpartisan CBO has said that the only way Republicans can achieve their goal is by kicking people off Medicaid rolls and taking away services. Whether it’s nearly a trillion dollars, half a trillion dollars, or hundreds of billions of dollars, their plans to slash health care will hurt people. 

Any cut to Medicaid will mean Americans lose coverage and access to care: 

  • A $500 billion cut, as proposed by some Republicans, could throw more than 20 million off their coverage. $500 billion covers health care for ten years for 18.5 million children, 2.7 million seniors, and 2.1 million people w/ disabilities.
  • A $250 billion cut could throw more than 10 million people off their coverage. $250 billion covers health care for ten years for 9.3 million children, 1.4 million seniors, and 1 million people w/ disabilities.
  • A $100 billion cut could throw nearly 5 million people off their coverage. $100 billion covers health care for ten years for 3.7 million children, 541,000 seniors, and 415,000 people w/ disabilities.

Here’s a closer look at their radical proposals: 

  • Work reporting requirements would jeopardize coverage for 36 million people 
  • Cuts to Medicaid expansion would jeopardize coverage for 21 million people 
  • Adding per capita caps to Medicaid would kick 15 million people off coverage
  • Reducing funding for Medicaid expansion would trigger laws that would automatically kick nearly 4 million people off coverage 
  • Rescinding a new rule that simplified Medicaid paperwork would jeopardize coverage for 1 million people and increase premiums and drug costs for 860,000 people. 
  • Restricting provider taxes and state directed payments would decrease coverage and access for millions of people across nearly every state in the country. 

Any way you slice it, cuts of this magnitude will kick millions of Americans off their health care. Medicaid provides coverage and lifesaving care to 1 in 5 Americans, including:

ashoup
In News

Running Scared: Republicans Scramble To Determine How To Take Away Americans’ Health Care to Fund Tax Breaks for the Wealthy

Over the next few weeks, Republicans in Congress will have to put pen to paper and codify their scheme to use massive Medicaid cuts to bankroll tax breaks for the wealthy. Their plan could force seniors out of nursing homes, jeopardize the health care of half of all children in America, and take lifesaving care away from people with disabilities. With nowhere left to hide, key Republicans are scrambling as they feel the consequences of how cruel and unpopular their plan is.

Poll after poll after poll finds a majority of voters, including most Republican voters, oppose any cuts to Medicaid. Facing continued pushback from constituents and widespread public outcry, Republicans are feeling the heat for their decision to target the nation’s largest health care provider just to fund tax breaks for the wealthy. Taking a dollar from Americans’ health care to hand a dollar to already-rich people is unfair and indefensible. The GOP is prioritizing billionaires and big companies over everyday Americans, and the fight to stop them is just getting started.

Politico: ‘It’s a dangerous situation’: GOP Rep. with most Medicaid constituents sends a warning

  • “What can pass the Senate? Don’t ask a bunch of us in the House just to vote for something that will fail in the Senate and or get vetoed by the President on things that we’re very, very concerned with,” he said. “It’s a dangerous situation,” he added, referring to President Donald Trump’s vague pledges to not cut Medicaid, save for changes addressing waste, fraud and abuse.
    • Valadao is representative of a broader bloc of House Republicans worried about the potential impacts of deep Medicaid cuts on patients and hospitals — and the potential political blowback. He also raised concerns about other GOP proposals to push federal food aid costs onto states – which, paired with changes to Medicaid, could hit millions of low-income Americans.
    • Valadao lost his seat in Congress in 2018 after voting to repeal the Democrats’ 2010 health law, and has treaded lightly on the issue ever since. 
  •  But Valadao is leaving the door open to capping the overall funding for certain beneficiaries in the 41 states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, like California, while also creating a “rainy day fund” for individual states. “I still think $500 billion is a lot, depending on how they score things,” Valadao said, but added the cost estimate “might be all foo-foo numbers just to make people happy.”

Fox News: Trump slams Republican ‘grandstanders’ opposing budget bill, predicts massive US tax increases if it fails 

  • [President Trump] said his bill has “100% just about Republican support,” adding it “would be nice if we had just a couple of Democrats just to make sure, because, you know, every once in a while, you have a grandstander Republican. We have some grandstanders.” As the crowd booed, Trump noted there were “not many” Republicans opposing his bill, but he urged viewers to “remember who those grandstanders were and vote them the hell out of office.” Trump cautioned that if the bill fails, the U.S. is “going to have the highest tax increase in history instead of the greatest tax cut in history.”

Politico: House Republicans raise new Medicaid proposal to offset Trump’s megabill 

  • According to four Republicans who were present for the meeting of GOP members of Energy and Commerce — convened to finalize their panel’s portion of the party’s megabill — lawmakers discussed at length a new version of a plan to place so-called “per capita caps” on Medicaid funding to certain beneficiaries in states that have expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act.
    • The emerging plan would still risk Medicaid health care services for millions of low-income people by shifting the costs of any additional coverage beyond the federal allotment to states as Republicans hunt for savings to pay for the party-line package to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Politico: E&C Chair Guthrie to huddle with Republicans on Medicaid 

  • The meeting [with key House Republicans wary of major cuts] is being scheduled amid growing skepticism about how the committee plans to hit its savings target of $880 billion to help finance the megabill central to President Donald Trump’s agenda without catastrophic cuts to Medicaid. 
  • “My sense is that would be a cut, and I’m not in favor of that,” Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) told reporters Tuesday. “But I do want to hear more from the Guthries of the world who have studied this issue for years.”

The Hill: GOP wrestles with disagreements over Medicaid cuts 

  • “We’re still having discussions on FMAP and per-capita allotments. Those are the biggest discussions we have to have,” Guthrie told reporters Tuesday. “If we can get there, that’s what we’re looking at.” Guthrie was referring to proposals to either lower the federal government’s 90 percent matching reimbursement rate for expansion states — known as FMAP — or to cap federal spending on a per beneficiary basis. 

Axios Pro: Health Care: Moderates’ Medicaid pushback

  • Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) said he would also look at any cap proposal but wants details such as how federal payments would increase over time to account for the cost of care. “You really have to know the rate that they are going to use, what kind of growth are they going to allow,” he said.

Semafor: Republican senators pan proposed House changes to Medicaid as ‘cutting benefits’

  • Sens. Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Josh Hawley of Missouri both warned in interviews that proposals to cut the federal government’s share of the costs in states that have expanded Medicaid, and to otherwise cap Medicaid expansion spending, could lead to coverage losses. Moreno bluntly told Semafor that both ideas amount to “cutting benefits.” “We don’t need to cut benefits. And it actually really infuriates me to hear people here talking about that, because it stresses people out. This is life and death for them,” Moreno said.
ashoup
In News, Roundup

Medicaid Awareness Month: Protect Our Care, Americans From All Walks of Life Urge Republicans to Abandon Cuts to Medicaid At Events Across the Country

Thursday, April 24 – SEIU Disability Week of Action Medicaid Rally in David Valadao’s District

Thursday, April 24 – SEIU Disability Week of Action Medicaid Rally in David Valadao’s District

Senators Tammy Baldwin, Ruben Gallego, and Peter Welch; Representatives Gwen Moore, Mark Pocan, Bobby Scott, George Latimer, Robert Garcia, Lateefah Simon, Paul Tonko, and Betty McCollum; Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords Headlined Events Across the Nation

As the eighth annual Medicaid Awareness Month comes to a close, Medicaid is under fire like never before as Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress pursue the largest cuts in history to fund tax cuts for the rich. Throughout the month, Protect Our Care released fact sheets, placed op-eds, launched new ads, and hosted more than 30 nationwide events with 14 members of Congress alongside state and local elected officials and Medicaid providers and patients. Medicaid is the largest health insurance program in the country, providing coverage and affordable health care for over 70 million Americans, including people from all backgrounds. Despite providing critical services for millions of Americans, these MAGA efforts jeopardize health care just to fund massive tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations. Research shows that, if Trump and Republicans get their way, millions will lose their health care, costs will go up, and people will die. 

Alongside partners, lawmakers, and other advocates, Protect Our Care is continuing to work to defend Medicaid from these ruthless Republican-led attacks. Read more about Protect Our Care’s “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign here. 

Medicaid Awareness Month Fact Sheets

New Ads

ALASKA

Frontiersman: Opinion: Medicaid Saved My Son’s Life: Cutting It Would Destroy Ours. 

  • “And yet, even with Medicaid, we are constantly on the edge. Zak qualifies for 20 hours of in-home support, 12 hours of community day programs, 10 hours of personal care assistant support, and 10 hours of respite per week—but due to staffing shortages and Medicaid billing restrictions, we haven’t had more than 30–40 of those hours billed in total since 2020. The rest? That’s me—unpaid labor from a mother who also provides his private insurance coverage.”

Anchorage Daily News: Opinion: Trump’s Threat to the Alaska Economy. 

  • “Along with Essential Air Service and Bypass Mail, Medicaid-funded travel is part of what allows rural air carriers to stay open and serve rural communities,” Fields writes. “With Elon Musk and his supporters targeting Essential Air Service and Bypass Mail, many of our rural communities face the real risk of losing most, if not all, air service.” 

Friday, April 11 – Medicaid Awareness Month/SEIU Caregiver Event with SEIU 775 Members Shirley Johnson and Shanah Kinison: Caregivers and SEIU 775 members Shirley Johnson and Shanah Kinison joined Protect Our Care Alaska to discuss their recent trip to DC to speak with Senator Dan Sullivan about the importance of Medicaid to Alaska seniors and people with disabilities, and to deliver the clear message: “don’t cut Medicaid.” Both Johnson and Kinison pushed back on the senator’s repeated references to “fraud, waste, and abuse” in Medicaid, urging him to focus instead on the lives that would be upended by cuts to care. “I asked him directly, ‘Am I fraud? Am I waste?’” said Shanah Kinison, a Haines Caregiver, who cares for a medically fragile teen living in the Tlingit village of Klukwan. “Medicaid pays for my job. Medicaid pays for my health care. I don’t feel like a waste.” You can watch the full event here, and read the post-event release here. 

Anchorage Daily News: Opinion: Thanks to Sen. Murkowski for Supporting Medicaid. 

  • “As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Health committees, you know that Medicaid is critical for treating opioid addiction, and that Medicaid cuts would also disproportionately affect communities of color, which are more likely to rely on Medicaid for health access due to historic inequities and current economic realities” McGee writes. “I’m grateful to have a leader who understands the importance of this critical program and who has pledged to protect the program going forward. So-called “block grant” proposals and other cuts would have long-lasting negative effects here in Alaska and elsewhere.”

Monday, April 21 – SEIU “Medicaid Monday” Event with SEIU Caregivers, Clients and Community Members outside Nick Begich’s Anchorage Office: SEIU Caregivers, clients, and community members allied outside Representative Nick Begich’s Anchorage office today to deliver a powerful message: their work is essential, and it’s time lawmakers treated it that way. The rally was organized in response to proposed Medicaid cuts that would harm Alaskans who rely on home- and community-based care. Participants shared their stories and called on lawmakers to protect the services that allow seniors and people with disabilities to live with dignity and independence.  “We’re here to fight for our families, our jobs, and our clients,” said Sasha Johnson, a caregiver and frontline advocate. “We are NOT waste—our work isn’t wasteful, our clients aren’t waste, and our experience isn’t a waste. Matter of fact, we SAVE the government so much money, and that’s what we came to say.” You can read the post-event release here. 

Thursday, April 24 – Medicaid Day of Action Community Conversation with Alaska Advocates in Anchorage: Stand UP Alaska, Alaska March On, Protect Our Care Alaska, Action Alaska, and various partner organizations hosted a community conversation to highlight how Medicaid is under threat for Alaskans and urged Representative Nick Begich and Senators Sullivan and Murkowski to take action and protect the program.  Community members discussed what cuts to Medicaid would mean for them and their community, and the event brought together labor leaders, small business owners, organizers, and artists. 

Anchorage Daily News: Opinion: Health Care Is Sacred. As Christian, Jewish and Muslim Leaders in Alaska, We Urge That Medicaid Be Protected. 

  • “We must all raise our voices to ensure Medicaid remains strong and intact. Elected officials need to hear from the people whose lives depend on it. And they need to understand: health care is not a luxury. It is a right. In one of the richest states in one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, no one should die from something that costs $30 to treat. Medicaid saves lives. And as people of faith, as Alaskans, and as human beings — we must protect it.” 

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Opinion: Alaskans Rally Behind Support of Title X and Medicaid. 

  • “Access to abortion is already increasingly challenging across the country, and Alaska only has two public providers of abortion left — the Planned Parenthood health centers in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Alaskans deserve access to lifesaving abortion care without any further barriers, and we hope the Alaska delegation will stand with the overwhelming majority of Alaskans who support access to this critical health care.” 

ARIZONA

Monday, April 21 – Medicaid Panel Event in Tucson with Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, State Senator Priya Sundareshan, Reproductive Freedom for All and Advocates: Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, State Senator Priya Sundareshan, Reproductive Freedom for All, and emergency physician Dr. Larry DeLuca gathered for a panel highlighting Medicaid’s crucial role in Arizona’s health care system and what’s at stake for Arizonans if funds are cut. “When we talk about Medicaid, we need to stop saying they, and we need to start saying we,” said Dr. Larry DeLuca. “You don’t plan to be in a car accident. No one puts themselves in front of a loaded gun. People can unexpectedly have their lives radically changed, and not just in the short term […] People are not going to get less sick because we took away their healthcare; just the opposite.” You can read the post-event release here. 

  • KGUN 9: Giffords joins reproductive health group in Tucson forum opposing Medicaid cuts 

Tuesday, April 22 – Medicaid Town Hall with Senator Ruben Gallego and Reproductive Freedom for All:  US Senator Ruben Gallego and Reproductive Freedom for All hosted a town hall in Phoenix alongside Protect Our Care Arizona in Phoenix to highlight the devastating consequences of Republican-led efforts to cut Medicaid, known as AHCCCS in Arizona, and the impacts it will have on essential reproductive healthcare for millions of Arizonans. “Women in Arizona deserve to have control over their own bodies,” said Senator Gallego. “But Republicans in Congress want to strip access to reproductive care from poor women in order to give tax cuts to the rich. I’m doing these town halls across the state to hear from people who will be impacted from these cuts and to make clear that Arizonans won’t stand for it.” You can read the post-event release here. 

  • KJZZ:  Sen. Ruben Gallego says proposed Medicaid cuts will leave families uninsured
  • Cronkite News (AZ PBS): Medicaid Cuts- Medicaid Awareness Month (segment begins at 18:40)

CALIFORNIA

Friday, April 11 – Medicaid Awareness Month Event with Congressman Robert Garcia and California Medicaid Advocates: US Rep. Robert Garcia, family physician Dr. Ian Kim, and health care advocates Karen Reside and Josephine Rios joined Protect Our Care CA to highlight how Medicaid is under attack like never before. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress like David Valadao, Young Kim, and Ken Calvert are working to cut Medicaid by nearly a trillion dollars to pay for tax-breaks to the ultra-wealthy. “House Republicans, including some here in California, are directly lying to the American public about this budget proposal. There’s no question: there are Medicaid cuts in this budget framework.” said Congressman Robert Garcia. “For us in California, the millions and millions of people who rely on Medi-Cal, they are going to either lose coverage, have reduced coverage, or be forced to leave coverage.” You can watch the event here.

  • KPFA: Healthcare advocates and CA congressmember Robert Garcia blast republican move to slash Medicaid by $880 billion

Wednesday, April 16—Children’s Health Care Rally at Rep. David Valadao’s Office: Kids, parents, advocates, and the broader community rallied in support of Medicaid in front of Rep. David Valadao (CA-22) in Bakersfield to call on the congressman to protect Medi-Cal for children who rely on the program for health care.

  • CBS: Hands Off Medicaid Rally in Bakersfield
  • Fox: Hands Off Medicaid Rally in Bakersfield

Thursday, April 17 – Children’s Health Care Rally at Rep. Young Kim’s Office: Kids, parents, advocates, and the broader community rallied in support of Medicaid in front of Rep. Young Kim’s office (CA-40) in Anaheim to call on the congresswoman to protect Medi-Cal for children who rely on the program for health care.

Monday, April 21 – SEIU Disability Week of Action Medicaid Rally in Ken Calvert’s District: California health care advocates came together in Palm Desert to call on Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-41) to protect Medicaid for Californians with disabilities. Advocates discussed the need to protect Medicaid funding and called on the congressman to reject cuts to the program’s budget that could rip care away from disabled Californians. You can watch an Instagram reel of the rally here.

  • KESQ: Rally outside Calvert’s office urging he block potential Medicaid cuts
  • Roll Call: The Bernie Sanders tour puts California GOP on notice
  • NBC Palm Springs: Advocates Rally in Palm Desert Urging Rep. Ken Calvert to Reverse Vote on Medicaid Cuts

Tuesday, April 22 – SEIU Disability Week of Action Medicaid Rally in Young Kim’s District: California health care advocates came together in Anaheim to call on Rep. Young Kim (CA-40) to protect Medicaid for Californians with disabilities. Advocates discussed the need to protect Medicaid funding and called on the congresswoman to reject cuts to the program’s budget that could rip care away from disabled Californians. You can watch footage from the event here.

  • ABC 7: Protesters rally outside SoCal congresswoman’s office over potential Medicaid cuts
  • NBC Los Angeles: Rally against proposed cuts to Medicaid
  • Fox 11: Rally to protect Medicaid in Anaheim
  • KTLA 5: Rally to protect Medicaid in Anaheim
  • Telemundo 52: Rally to protect Medicaid in Anaheim
  • LA Live: Rally to protect Medicaid in Anaheim
  • Fullerton Observer: Protest Rally at Congressmember Young Kim’s Office to Oppose Medicaid Cuts
  • KABC-LA

Thursday, April 24 – SEIU Disability Week of Action Medicaid Rally in David Valadao’s District: California health care advocates came together in Bakersfield to call on Rep. Young Kim (CA-22) to protect Medicaid for Californians with disabilities. Advocates discussed the need to protect Medicaid funding and called on the congressman to reject cuts to the program’s budget that could rip care away from disabled Californians. You can watch footage from the rally here.

  • ABC23: Rally against potential cuts to Medicaid draws community support in Bakersfield
  • ABC23: Community rallies in Bakersfield to oppose Medicaid cuts
  • KBAK: Dolores Huerta, protesters from around California rally against potential healthcare cuts

Friday, April 25 – Medicaid Awareness Month Event with Congresswoman Lateefah Simon and Health Care Advocates: Lateefah Simon and Medi-Cal advocates joined Protect Our Care CA to highlight how Medicaid is under attack like never before. During the event, speakers discussed what’s at stake for this vital program and for the 15 million Californians who rely on Medicaid for health care, including millions of Californians with disabilities. “This isn’t just a war on poor people. It’s a war on children. It’s a war on the disabled. It’s a war on the elderly. It’s a war we have to win. There’s no other choice.” said Rep. Lateefah Simon. “The Trump administration has made it blatantly clear that they don’t care about us. But what they don’t understand is that if you rip Medicaid and Medicare from any state, it dilapidates the entire health care infrastructure. Middle class folks and poor people alike will suffer.” You can watch the event here.

IOWA

Tuesday, April 22 – Office Visit, Petition Delivery, and Storyteller Sharing at Representative Marianette Miller-Meeks’ Indianola District Office: Storytellers and advocates visited Representative Miller-Meeks’ office to discuss the importance of Medicaid and what’s at risk for vulnerable Iowans. Eleven storytellers and three staff members listed above met at Rep. Miller-Meeks’ Indianola office to speak with office staff about the proposed cuts to Medicaid and the impacts it would have on Iowans. “Any vote Congresswoman Miller-Meeks makes to gut Medicaid funding is a direct hit to the health and well-being of thousands of Iowans in her district,” said Jill Kordick of Norwalk. “Medicaid is a vital lifeline for children, seniors, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. These cuts would jeopardize access to care, force impossible choices for families, and deliver a fiscal sucker punch to rural health systems. You can view the post-event release here.

Thursday, April 24 – Medicaid Community Forum with Health Care Advocates: Protect Our Care Iowa co-hosted a community forum with SEIU, AFGE, Planned Parenthood, and ICAN to highlight what’s at risk for Iowans if the proposed Medicaid cuts in the federal budget become a reality. Doctors, health care workers, and Iowa residents with lived experience shared stories and insight into how these cuts would affect access to care, local hospitals, and families across our state. “We are here today to let Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks know that we want answers and we don’t want Medicaid to get cut,” said Gabriela Fuentes of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa. “As you can see, people are really looking for answers. What is going to happen with Medicaid? There are so many people that are going to be affected if Medicaid is cut.” 

  • KGAN: Iowans voice concerns over Medicaid cuts at North Liberty forum, urge action from lawmaker
  • KCRG: Putting a Balanced Budget to the Test

MAINE

Portland Press Herald: Opinion: Mainecare Saved My Life. We Can’t Let It Be Cut Back.

  • “Earlier this month, Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services announced that it was pausing MaineCare reimbursements for some providers and health care facilities because of the $118 million budget shortfall,” Ortloff writes. “GOP state legislators blocked a budget bill that would have shorn up funding for MaineCare. Their callous move comes on the heels of the GOP-controlled House passing a federal budget framework that includes a shocking $880 billion in Medicaid cuts.” 

Thursday, April 24 – Medicaid Day of Action Event with Maine House Chair of Appropriations Drew Gattine and Dr. Jessica Faraci: Maine House Chair of Appropriations Drew Gattine and Dr. Jessica Faraci of Maine Medical Association joined Protect Our Care Maine to highlight how Medicaid, referred to as MaineCare in Maine, is under attack like never before. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are working to cut Medicaid by nearly a trillion dollars to pay for tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. Medicaid plays a vital role in providing affordable health care coverage for 400,000 Mainers, including seniors, people with disabilities, with nearly half being Maine children and people suffering from opioid addiction and mental health disorders. Gattine and Faraci discussed how the most vulnerable Mainers, particularly in rural counties, rely on MaineCare as a social safety net. “Medicaid is a vital necessity for Mainers,”  said State Rep. Drew Gattine. “In rural counties like Aroostook, Somerset, and Washington, 40% of the population benefits from MaineCare. Cutting Medicaid will also jeopardize an important element of Maine’s economy. Thousands upon thousands of Mainers’ jobs in the health care industry is at stake. Hospitals, mostly rural, will be jeopardized.” You can read the post-event release here. 

  • Spectrum News: Potential federal cuts could jeopardize MaineCare coverage, officials say
  • WABI Augusta: Protect Our Care Maine speak out against potential federal Medicaid cuts (also ran during 5pm, 7am broadcast)
  • WPFO Fox Portland: Protect Our Care Maine to Discuss What Potential Medicaid Cuts Would Mean for Mainers (also ran during 7am broadcast)
  • WGME: Protect Our Care Maine to Discuss What Potential Medicaid Cuts Would Mean for Mainers (also ran during 8am, 6am, 5am, and 4am broadcasts) 
  • WGME CBS Portland: Protect Our Care Maine, Democratic Lawmaker Discuss Threat of Medicaid Cuts
  • WPFO Fox Portland: Protect Our Care Maine, Democratic Lawmaker Discuss Threat of Medicaid Cuts
  • Maine Public: Washington Republicans propose billions of dollars in Medicaid cuts that would threaten MaineCare

MINNESOTA

Wednesday, April 16 – Medicaid Defense Event with Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Health Care Advocates: Congresswoman Betty McCollum and SEIU Advocates joined Protect Our Care Minnesota to highlight how Medicaid is under attack like never before. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are working to cut Medicaid by nearly a trillion dollars to pay for tax-breaks to the ultra-wealthy. “One out of four Minnesotans rely on Medicaid for their health care. That includes 620,000 children and 90,000 seniors.  Working parents and children are 65% of enrollees,” said Congresswoman Betty McCollum. “We’re better than this. We need to budget. We need to plan with honesty and integrity, including families that are going to be directly impacted by these cuts. These are our brothers, our sisters, our cousins, our neighbors. They’re us.” You can watch the event here.

  • Red Lake Nation News: Congresswoman Betty McCollum and SEIU Advocates Join Protect Our Care Minnesota to Call Out GOP Plans to Cut Medicaid, Take Away Vital Health Care from Minnesotans
  • KSTP: McCollum Highlights Threats to Medicaid

Duluth News Tribune: Opinion: Medicaid on the Chopping Block for Northland Seniors. 

  • “Medicaid is a critical source of care for millions of seniors across the nation, providing essential care on which older Minnesotans rely. Medicaid helps cover high medical costs for those who have limited income and is the primary payer for long-term care across Minnesota. Medicaid also provides home- and community-based care essential to keep loved ones at home with their families and friends. Many seniors would not be able to afford these desperately needed services with Medicare alone. Cuts to Medicaid would not only jeopardize the vital care seniors depend on but also would threaten the very survival of rural health systems that provide it.”

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Monday, April 14 – Medicaid Awareness Month/Rural Health Discussion with New Hampshire Advocates: Health care advocates Tuess Kuenning of Bi-State Primary Care Association, Ed Shanshala of the Ammonoosuc Community Health Services and Samuel Burgess from New Futures joined Protect Our Care New Hampshire to discuss how cuts to Medicaid would cause rural communities to lose access to critical health services. The panel focused on the urgent need to preserve and strengthen Medicaid in the face of potential federal funding cuts and ongoing economic uncertainty. “Medicaid is an economic lifeline for rural communities…” said Ed Shanshala, CEO of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services. “These dollars move around within the local economy. People pay their mortgage. They buy groceries. They buy a car. Without that investment in the state loan repayment program, it’s difficult. They want to come back. They want to care for their friends, family, and neighbors who nurtured them.” You can watch the full event here. 

  • WMUR: New Hampshire Health Leaders Warn Federal Medicaid Cuts Will Hurt Rural Health Centers
  • Caledonian Record:  Proposed Medicaid Cuts Raise Alarms In North Country
  • NHPR: ‘Hit From All Sides Right Now’: Proposed Budget Cuts Could Strain Nh’s Safety Net Health System 

NEW YORK

LoHud: Opinion: Republicans in Congress — Like Ny’s Mike Lawler — Think Medicaid Doesn’t Matter. 

  • “No one went to the polls in November to cut health care for our nation’s most vulnerable, and if Republicans get their way, we will all pay the price. It has never been more critical to do everything we can to protect affordable health care access in America.”

Monday, April 21—Medicaid Defense Event with Senator Peter Welch and Congressman Paul Tonko: Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20) hosted a rally in Plattsburgh to highlight the importance of protecting Medicaid coverage. Welch and Tonko discussed how Congressional Democrats are fighting to defend Americans’ access to health care and are working to push back against efforts to kick Vermonters and New Yorkers off Medicaid to pay for a tax cut for those who don’t pay their fair share. “This is about health care and the well-being of every American. President Trump and Republicans’ budget would cut care for those who need it most, all so they secure tax cuts for billionaires—that’s an acceptable deal to them. But as far as I’m concerned, there is no acceptable cut to health coverage,” said Senator Welch. “So while Republicans are attempting to finance a tax cut for the ultra-wealthy, Democrats will continue working to protect access to Medicaid for communities small and large and work to lower costs for hardworking families and seniors.”

  • NBC5 Plattsburgh: Sen. Peter Welch holds rally in Plattsburgh, sounds alarm over proposed federal cuts
  • NBC5 Plattsburgh: Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, NY Rep. Paul Tonko to hold joint rally in Plattsburgh
  • WCAX: Welch hosts North Country rally to protect Medicaid rights
  • WAMC: Vermont Senator Peter Welch and New York Congressman Paul Tonko hold rally to support Medicaid in Plattsburgh
  • VermontBiz: Welch, Tonko, community members rally in support of Medicaid
  • The Press-Republican: Welch, Tonko rally draws attention to possible Medicaid cuts

Tuesday, April 22—Medicaid Awareness Month Event with Congressman George Latimer and Health Care Advocates: Congressman and former Westchester County Executive George Latimer, White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach, White Plains Common Council President Victoria Presser and Westchester County Legislator Ben Boykin joined Protect Our Care New York to highlight how Medicaid is under attack like never before. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are working to cut Medicaid by nearly a trillion dollars to pay for tax-breaks to the ultra-wealthy. “Medicaid isn’t just a budget line, it’s a lifeline for millions of New Yorkers,” said Congressman George Latimer. “In the 16th District alone, tens of thousands of seniors depend on Medicaid to stay healthy and secure. We cannot, and will not, allow Republicans to balance the budget on the backs of those who can least afford it.” You can watch the Congressman’s remarks here.

  • MidHudson News: Latimer rallies Westchester residents to oppose Medicaid cuts

NORTH CAROLINA

Saturday, April 19 – Poor Peoples’ Campaign Rally in Raleigh, North Carolina:

Protect Our Care North Carolina provided support for the Poor Peoples’ Campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina. During the rally, speakers outlined several demands of the Trump administration, including maintaining due process, protecting voting rights, and adherence to a “Moral Budget”.

  • WRAL: Raleigh, Durham join nationwide day of action to protest actions of Trump administration

Thursday, April 24 – Medicaid Awareness Month Event with State Representative Sarah Crawford and Health Care Advocates: State Rep. Sarah Crawford; Shannon Dingle, Little Lobbyists; and Eric Schneidewind, former AARP National President joined Protect Our Care North Carolina to highlight how Medicaid is under attack like never before. “I get to see first hand, every day, the power of Medicaid. It is not simply a safety net. It is the foundation that holds up lives, families, providers, and their entire community system of care,” said State Representative Sarah Crawford. “But that foundation is under attack by political games. National Republicans, especially Donald Trump, are actively pushing to gut this vital program. Why? To pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. “ You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

PENNSYLVANIA

Monday, April 14 – SEIU Medicaid Rally in Representative Ryan Mackenzie’s District: Protect Our Care Pennsylvania provided support for an SEIU rally to hold Representative Ryan Mackenzie accountable for Republican attacks on Medicaid. Local community groups and constituents across the district rallied at Rep. Mackenzie’s district office, demanding accountability for his support of devastating Medicaid cuts and corporate giveaways championed by President Trump and House Republicans.

Wednesday, April 16 – SEIU Medicaid Rally in Representative Lloyd Smucker’s District: Protect Our Care Pennsylvania provided support for an SEIU rally to hold Representative Lloyd Smucker accountable for Republican attacks on Medicaid. Local community groups and constituents rallied at Rep. Lloyd Smucker’s district office, demanding accountability for his support of devastating Medicaid cuts and corporate giveaways championed by President Trump and House Republicans.

Thursday, April 17 – SEIU Medicaid Rally in Representative Scott Perry’s District: Protect Our Care Pennsylvania provided support for an SEIU rally to hold Representative Scott Perry accountable for Republican attacks on Medicaid. Local community groups and constituents rallied at Rep. Scott Perry’s district office, demanding accountability for his support of devastating Medicaid cuts and corporate giveaways championed by President Trump and House Republicans.

Friday, April 25 – Medicaid Awareness Month Event with Pennsylvania Senator Vincent Hughes and Health Care Advocates: Sen. Hughes, health care providers and advocates joined Protect Our Care Pennsylvania to highlight how Medicaid is under attack like never before. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are working to cut Medicaid by nearly a trillion dollars to pay for tax-breaks to the ultra-wealthy. “First of all, let me say this, the state cannot absorb, no state in the country can absorb the cuts, the reductions that the federal government is talking about doing with respect to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, CHIP” said Senator Vincent Hughes “…In the end, what the federal government is doing, what the Musk/Trump/MAGA crew is doing is they’re creating a dynamic to make patients sicker and put workers in danger and likely to lose their jobs, okay? It really is that simple. It’s not complicated.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

VIRGINIA

Richmond Times Dispatch: Opinion: Slash Funding for Medicaid and Lose the Fight Against Addiction. 

  • “If President Donald Trump and Congress follow through on their plans to gut Medicaid to pay for tax giveaways for corporations and billionaires, Virginia will be forced to dramatically cut back on addiction treatment services. Without federal support for Medicaid, the state would likely cut back on peer recovery specialists, stop covering crucial medication, and decrease the number of treatment beds, increasing wait times for people to get the help they need. That will have real, devastating impacts on people’s lives.” The full text is viewable here.

Thursday, April 18 – Medicaid Roundtable with Congressman Bobby Scott and Health Care Advocates: Protect Our Care Virginia provided storyteller Tony Hedgepeth, a veteran and member of SEIU Virginia 512, for a roundtable hosted by Congressman Bobby Scott and The Commonwealth Institute. Congressman Scott and advocates highlighted Congressional Republicans’ proposed cuts to Medicaid. Congressman Scott also unveiled a new report from The Commonwealth Institute on the impact of the proposed cuts to Medicaid on veterans and military families. “This letter on Medicaid suggests that they’re not going to vote for Medicaid cuts, but unfortunately that’s not the case,” said Congressman Scott. “If you read the letter they say they won’t cut Medicaid for vulnerable populations, this population, or that population, but it doesn’t rule out cuts in Medicaid … The fact of the matter is the budget cutting Medicaid is necessary to help fund tax cuts for billionaires.” You can watch the event here.

Wednesday, April 23 – Medicaid Awareness Month Event with State Senator Ghazala Hashmi and Health Care Advocates: Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee Ghazala Hashmi joined SAARA of Virginia and Protect Our Care in discussing the impact that proposed cuts to Medicaid – including the potential automatic disenrollment of more than 629,000 Virginians in the expansion population – would have on behavioral health, including treatment for substance use disorders. “We are facing the biggest threat now to health care since the last Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act,” said Senator Hashmi. “Congressional Republicans are now targeting $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid only for the purpose of funding irresponsible tax giveaways for corporations and for those who are already ultra-wealthy. Gutting Medicaid is going to be devastating to Virginians in every single zip code, and it will set us back in the fight to end the opioid epidemic.” You can watch the event here.

  • Courthouse News: Looming Medicaid Cuts Threaten Progress Made in Combating Opioid Crisis
  • Richmond Times-Dispatch: For Some Virginians, Talk of Cutting Medicaid Funds Hits Home (Full text is viewable here)
  • WRIC: Dems Warn That 630K Virginians Could Lose Health Insurance if Medicaid Is Cut

WEST VIRGINIA

Thursday, April 10 – Disability Advocacy Medicaid Awareness Month Event with Caregiver Mariah Plante and Advocates: Mariah Plante, who is the full-time caregiver of her brother with disabilities, and health care advocates Sherri McKinney from SEIU 1199 and Ellen Allen from West Virginians for Affordable Health Care joined Protect Our Care West Virginia to kick off Medicaid Awareness Month and discuss the GOP plan to cut Medicaid and risk health care for 500,000 West Virginians, including 86,000 people with disabilities. Plante shared her story of taking care of her brother and relying on the Medicaid IDD Waiver program: “Even though there are few resources available for families like ours in this part of the state, Medicaid is our lifeline,” Plante said. “It covers his Medical care, eyeglasses, and behavioral support, including specialists that would otherwise be totally inaccessible if we had to pay out of pocket for their services. Most importantly, Medicaid enables us to care for Matt at home and provide him with the daily support only a family member can give–instead of in a state-run facility. If Medicaid were to pull back on that support, a lot of people who can’t afford to take care of their loved ones will fall through the cracks.” You can watch the full event here. 

Charleston Gazette-Mail: Opinion: Medicaid Cuts Put Children’s Health at Risk. 

  • “Staffing shortages might lead to closures of facilities that West Virginians rely on for care,” Lefeber writes. “Perhaps the most drastic impact would be felt in rural parts of the state, which are home to the vast majority, or two-thirds, of our residents. Children in rural areas are more dependent on Medicaid coverage and 36% of hospitals are already at risk of closing.” You can read the full op-ed here. 

Charleston Gazette Mail: Opinion: Capito, Justice Must Hold Stance on Health Care. 

  • “A cut that huge would truly be, as Justice said, beyond catastrophic across the U.S. and especially in low-income states like West Virginia,” Wilson writes. “Our already dismal health statistics would get worse. Minor issues will turn major. Substance use disorder will go untreated. The cost of emergency room visits and uncompensated care will grow and be passed on to others. Rural hospitals will close. Jobs will be lost. And people will die. The margins in Congress are razor thin. Our senators’ votes could influence the final outcome, especially after the House voted to throw us under the bus. I hope Justice and Capito take their own advice and side with the people of West Virginia again.” You can read the full op-ed here. 

Thursday, April 24 – Medicaid Awareness Month Event with Delegate John Williams and Advocates in Morgantown, West Virginia: West Virginia delegate John Williams, West Virginians for Affordable Health Care executive director Ellen Allen, Milan Puskar Health Right executive director Laura Jones and Valley Community Services CEO G.N. James joined Protect Our Care West Virginia at Milan Puskar Health Right in Morgantown to highlight how Medicaid is under attack like never before. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are working to cut Medicaid by nearly a trillion dollars to pay for tax-breaks to the ultra-wealthy. April marks the eighth annual Medicaid Awareness Month. During the event, speakers will discuss what’s at stake for this vital program and for the over 500,000 West Virginians who rely on Medicaid for health care. “I want my people to have health care,” said Delegate John Williams. “Medicaid has been a lifeline for them. It’s been something—with the expanded population—they’ve had access to for around 12 years now. To take this from them would literally be a death sentence for West Virginians. It would be an economic death sentence for our rural hospitals. This is an incredibly important issue, one of the most important issues that I’ve seen in my time in the legislature, and we need to be fighting it.” You can watch the full event here. 

  • WDTV: Del. Williams joins ‘Protect Our Care WV’ in effort to protect Medicaid

West Virginia Watch: Opinion: Is West Virginia — And the Rest of the Country — Prepared to Care for Our Seniors. 

  • “There is an unprecedented and unnecessary attack on one of the largest health insurance programs in the country. The GOP has plans to rip Medicaid from our seniors — and every other person assisted by Medicaid — in the current budget process,” Allen writes. “Under the current proposal, West Virginia stands to lose over a half a billion federal dollars. And we all saw a few weeks ago how eager West Virginia Republicans are to throw tens of thousands of their constituents under the bus if Congress cuts the program. They didn’t even wait for their Congressional delegation. They preempted them by attempting to sneak in a Medicaid trigger bill signaling the message: Hey, it’s OK, we don’t care if you gut Medicaid. We are ready and willing.” 

Charleston Gazette-Mail: Opinion:Medicaid Is Vital to West Virginia’s Economic Health.

  • “Medicaid revenues affect the economic well-being of every community,” Wise writes. “Health care is one of the state’s largest employers; 49,000 work in 65 hospitals as well as thousands more in 100 nursing and assisted living facilities, rural health clinics and countless physician’s offices. Each one of these health care workers, usually supported in whole or in part by Medicaid, buys cars, homes, appliances, shops locally, contributes to church and community efforts and pays taxes.” You can read the full op-ed here. 

The Inter-Mountain: Opinion: Proposed Medicaid Cuts Could Hurt Many. 

  • “While politicians are playing checkers with numbers, the rest of us could face a compromised healthcare future, with no fallback plan,” Bruning writes. “A yes vote to cut Medicaid means that veterans, people with disabilities, low-income people, children are all expendable. Did you know that half the births in WV are covered by Medicaid? If our lawmakers vote yes to cut Medicaid, it means they are willing to risk the lives of women and babies.” 

WISCONSIN

Tuesday, April 15 – “Hands Off Medicaid” Roundtable with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Health Care Advocates: U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin held a “Hands Off Medicaid” roundtable in Green Bay, Wisconsin in conjunction with Protect Our Care Wisconsin to highlight how Medicaid is under attack like never before. “Threats to Medicaid are very serious right now,” said Senator Baldwin.  “…as the president and Republicans in Congress are proposing massive slashes to the Medicaid program,” You can view the post-event release here.

  • FOX11: Despite GOP Claims to Not Gut Medicaid, Democrats Continue Voicing Concerns Over Program
  • WeAreGreenBay: Baldwin Brings ‘Hands off Medicaid’ Tour to Green Bay as GOP Health Proposals Move Forward
  • State Affairs Pro: U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin calls out GOP plans to cut Medicaid, take away vital health care from Wisconsinites
  • WBAY: Senator Baldwin Stops in Green Bay
  • WBAY: Baldwin Hands Off Medicaid Tour Comes to Green Bay
  • WBAY: Baldwin Visits Green Bay
  • WFRV: “Hands Off Medicaid” Tour Comes to Green Bay 
  • WFRV: Senator Baldwin Continues Medicaid Tour
  • WTAQ: Senator Baldwin Discusses the Republican Plan to Cut Medicaid 
  • WTAQ: Senator Baldwin Shares Her Story About Medicaid 
  • WMTV: Senator Baldwin Continues Her Hands Off Medicaid Tour in Green Bay
  • WLUK: Senator Baldwin Continues Her Push to Protect Medicaid 

Tuesday, April 22 – Medicaid Accountability Town Hall with Congressman Mark Pocan and Health Care Advocates in La Crosse, Wisconsin: Protect Our Care Wisconsin co-sponsored an accountability town hall with Congressman Pocan, several partner organizations from across Wisconsin, and a guest appearance from Senator Bernie Sanders. During the town hall, Congressman Pocan answered questions from constituents of Representative Derrick Van Orden who shared their concerns about a variety of issues including health care, taxes, and government programs. “Someone’s got to fight for them,” said Congressman Pocan. “And if these certain members are unwilling to listen to constituents, I’m going to make them uncomfortable until they do.”

  • WIZM: Around 300 at La Crosse Town Hall With US House Rep. Mark Pocan and Surprise Visit From Sen. Bernie Sanders
  • News8000: Pocan on Third District Town Hall: ‘Someone’s Got to Fight for Them’
  • WXOX: Opportunity Wisconsin Hosts Rep. Pocan in Town Hall, Rep. Van Orden a No Show
  • WisPolitics: Opportunity Wisconsin: Congressman Pocan joins La Crosse town hall meeting as Congressman Van Orden continues to dodge in-person town halls 
  • WIZM: Rep. Pocan, and Bernie Sanders, Highlight a Town Hall Discussion in La Crosse
  • WKBT: Representative Mark Pocan Will Host a Town Hall in La Crosse
  • WAOW: Representative Pocan Holds Town Hall Outside of His District
  • WMSN: La Crosse Voters Get the Chance to Directly Question a Member of Congress
  • WKBT: Accountability Town Hall in La Crosse
  • WISC: La Crosse Voters Question One of Their Representatives
  • WKBT: Rep. Pocan Faces Third District Voters in La Crosse

Wednesday, April 23 – Medicaid Awareness Month Roundtable with Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Health Care Advocates: U.S. Representative Gwen Moore held a roundtable discussion in conjunction with Protect Our Care Wisconsin to highlight how Medicaid is under attack like never before. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are working to cut Medicaid by nearly a trillion dollars to pay for tax-breaks to the ultra-wealthy. “Medicaid work requirements are functionally medicaid cuts – Mom and I are drowning in paperwork already as it is,” said Erin Miller, a young adult on Badgercare. “Please, no more paperwork. More requirements for people who are already working, like me, are just more work.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

ashoup
In News

STATEMENT: Medicaid Is Not A Piggy Bank For Republicans to Use for Billionaire Tax Breaks

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Don Bacon (R-NE-02) suggested cutting an eye-popping $500 billion from Medicaid in the upcoming budget. House Republicans have already voted twice to cut Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations, and continue to push ahead with these devastating cuts. This would be the largest cut to Medicaid in American history and put millions of Americans at risk of losing their health care.

Medicaid is an indispensable pillar of our economy and health care system. It provides health care to more than 70 million Americans with Medicaid, including low-income seniors, children, veterans, people with serious disabilities, workers who don’t get coverage through their jobs, and people who take care of their children or elderly parents. 

“As the GOP drafts their devastating budget, one thing remains true: Republicans in Congress want to make the largest Medicaid cuts in history to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans,” said Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse. “Now that Congress is back in session, Republicans are continuing their effort to dismantle the health care that is woven deeply into the threads of our health care system. Whether it’s a trillion dollars, half a trillion, or hundreds of billions in Medicaid cuts, no member of Congress can justify ripping health care away from some of the most vulnerable Americans to give tax breaks to the wealthy. Not one dollar should be cut from Medicaid to pay for one dollar of tax breaks for the rich.”

BACKGROUND

  • Republicans are turning their backs on their own voters. In 2024, Donald Trump won 49 percent of voters who rely on Medicaid.
ashoup
In News

100 Days In: Trump Is Endangering Lives With His Chaos, Cuts, and Cruelty

In his first 100 days in office, Donald Trump has been on a rampage against our nation’s health care system. From terminating vital health and science agencies and firing tens of thousands of workers, moving to cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, and installing anti-vaccine zealot RFK Jr. as Secretary of HHS, Trump and Republicans have already done irreparable damage to the American health care system. Republicans are endangering the lives of millions of Americans by eroding our nation’s health care, and they have no plans on stopping.

“Trump and his allies in Congress are playing political games with people’s lives,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Trump’s schemes threaten the health and well-being of every single person in this country.  He has ripped away Americans’ access to lifesaving health care, compromised the safety of our food and water, and made it more dangerous to have a child and start a family. And it’s only getting worse as Republicans seek to decimate Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for wealthy people and big corporations. If Trump continues down this road, there won’t be a community in this nation that isn’t impacted.” 

Right now, Republicans’ top priority is making the largest Medicaid cuts in history to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest people and big corporations. Gutting Medicaid threatens to rip health care away from more than 70 million Americans, including children, seniors in nursing homes, veterans, people fighting cancer, and working families. Read more about Trump’s health care sabotage here. 

Increasing Costs for Working Americans

  • Proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, which could leave millions of Americans without coverage, kill over 30,000 people annually, and raise health care costs across the board.
  • Cut nearly 90 percent of ACA Navigator funding that currently helps people enroll in affordable health coverage.
  • Announced a rule that shortens the Affordable Care Act open enrollment period by one month and ends the ability for low-income families to sign up monthly instead of waiting for the enrollment period in the fall; this will lead to 2 million Americans losing coverage.
  • Released an executive order aimed to boost drug company profits, weaken Medicare price negotiation, and raise prescription drug costs for Americans.
  • Passed a continuing resolution that paves the way for Republicans to rip away cost-saving tax credits for middle-class families, jeopardizing the health and financial stability of millions of people.
  • Delayed implementation of a Biden administration rule that barred medical debt from showing on credit reports. 
  • Dropped the Biden-era proposal for drugs used to assist in weight-loss to be covered by health insurance.
  • Announced a significant increase in payments for Medicare Advantage plans, raising costs for seniors and nearly doubling the projected costs that the Biden administration had previously released.
  • Proposed a new rule which would prevent gender-affirming care from being covered under ACA marketplace plans.
  • Proposed stripping DACA recipients of health care coverage guaranteed under the ACA.

Slashing Funding for Health Care

  • Cancelled over $12 billion in health care grants, putting into question states’ abilities to treat mental health disorders and infectious disease outbreaks.
  • Cut NIH grants, capping the payout rate at 15 percent. This will hinder life-saving research being done at universities across the country.
  • Defied court orders to stop freezing or terminating research grants.
  • Defunded studies that aimed to explain vaccine hesitancy and explore how to increase vaccination rates.
  • Terminated 145 grants totaling nearly half a billion dollars on the research of HIV prevention and care.
  • Froze over $27.5 million in funding for family planning grants across the country. Since 2023 in Tennessee alone where $8 million was frozen, those funds have been used to serve over 30,000 families.
  • Signed an executive order ending all funding for any kind of gender-affirming care for people 19 and under by threatening the revocation of all Medicaid and Medicare funding; as well the order further eroded patient privacy protections for all Americans.

Gutting Health Departments

  • Fired several thousand employees across HHS, including those who worked on infectious diseases, and pressured 80,000 HHS employees to leave the agency. 
  • Shut down two independent food safety committees that help keep Americans safe from outbreaks of bacteria, such as listeria. 
  • Closed vaccination sites across the country amidst the largest measles outbreak of this century.
  • Canceled the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee which was set to discuss the strains of influenza to include in the next flu shot.
  • Shut down 30 percent of all Indian Health Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs offices, ripping away health care access from people already systemically underserved when it comes to health care.
  • Indefinitely postponed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting. The ACIP “offers guidance on vaccine approvals and influences which shots insurers cover” and had been scheduled to discuss vaccines for COVID-19, meningococcal virus, influenza, RSV, HPV, and Mpox.
  • Released plans outlining proposals to fire 10,000 HHS employees who have been responding to infectious disease outbreaks, approving new life-saving drugs, administering critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and more
  • Ended the HHS Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Long COVID.
  • Fired around 1,900 probationary workers from the Department of Health and Human Services, with the administration hinting they could fire as many as 5,200.
  • Fired the FDA’s head of medical device safety, Ross Segan, along with other employees.
  • Shut down CMS and HHS’s Minority Health Offices; going forward this means little to no research will be done on increasing access and affordability to marginalized populations such as racial and ethnic minorities and rural Americans.
  • Disbanded a panel researching ways to further health equity for those on Medicaid and Medicare.
  • Ordered HHS to remove the public comment portion of the rule-making process, ending transparency and removing feedback from the people who the policies would affect.

Putting Conspiracy Theorists and Grifters in Charge of Your Health Care

  • Confirmed vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead HHS. 
  • Put David Geier, an anti-vax, quack scientist, and fake doctor, in charge of the “study” into connections between vaccinations and autism.
  • Selected the GOP’s general counsel, Thomas March Bell, as HHS Inspector General. Bell is best known for his radical anti-abortion views and his support for defunding family planning health agencies.
  • Confirmed Jay Bhattacharya, a COVID-19 skeptic who has called for dismantling the National Institute of Health, as National Institutes of Health Director, and Marty Makary, who supports RFK Jr.’s bogus science claims and has plans to overhaul the FDA, as Food and Drug Administration Commissioner.
  • Confirmed celebrity doctor and grifter Mehmet Oz to be the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

What They’re Planning Next

Republicans are continuing to build upon the momentum of Trump’s first 100 days in office, charging forward with their plan to slash $880 billion from Medicaid in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, such a drastic reduction in funding will lead to the largest cuts in Medicaid history and rip health care away from millions of seniors in nursing homes, children, veterans, working families, and more. 

While Republicans work to give more tax breaks to their billionaire donors, they are also working to hike health care premiums on middle-class families. The over 20 million Americans with marketplace coverage, currently saving an average of $800 per person per month on premiums, cannot afford to have Republicans succeed in their plans to hike premiums. Premiums will nearly double for the average family, and 5 million people will lose their health care altogether. Every single community across the country will feel the effects of these cuts. Nevertheless, the Republican plan is clear: slash Medicaid and raise premium costs for working Americans.

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