FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 22, 2026
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GOP Cuts to Medicaid Threaten Access to Coverage for 860,000 New Yorkers in the coming decade
Watch the Full Event Here
Rockland County, NY – Yesterday, health care advocates and workers joined Protect Our Care New York for a virtual press conference ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to Rockland County with Congressman Mike Lawler, calling attention to Lawler’s support for devastating Republican health care cuts that threaten coverage, raise costs, and put New York hospitals and providers at risk.
Speakers highlighted how Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress, including Congressman Mike Lawler enacted the largest health care cuts in history, gutting more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The cuts threaten coverage for millions of Americans, including nearly 6.5 million New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid, while jeopardizing hospitals, providers, and care services across the state.
“Mike Lawler is choosing to stand with Donald Trump and support an agenda that rips health care away from working families, seniors, children, and people with disabilities,” said Chris Duyos, Executive Director of Protect Our Care New York. “These cuts will force hospitals to slash services, make it harder for families to afford care, and hurt communities across New York. While Lawler may try to brand himself as a moderate, when it matters most he chooses to stand with Trump and Republicans pushing the largest health care cuts in history.”
Alongside Protect Our Care, advocates condemned Lawler for aligning himself with Trump’s health care agenda while families in the Hudson Valley face rising health care costs and uncertainty about access to care, discussing the real-world impacts the cuts would have on New Yorkers who depend on Medicaid and affordable health coverage and emphasizing the importance of holding elected officials accountable for supporting policies that threaten care.
“Healthcare workers see every day what Medicaid means for patients and families,” said Maurice Larry, Political Coordinator at 1199SEIU. “These cuts are not numbers on a spreadsheet; they are real people losing access to care, medications, and lifesaving services. Mike Lawler chose to support an agenda that threatens hospitals, workers, and the communities we serve, and we are here to make sure New Yorkers understand what’s at stake.”
“People with disabilities and support professionals already face enormous challenges accessing affordable, reliable care and services,” said Zach Disador, coordinator at the Arc of Mid-Hudson, a Putnam County-based disability services center. “Cuts to Medicaid will be devastating for families who depend on these programs to live with dignity and independence. Congressman Lawler should be fighting for the people in his district, not standing with Donald Trump while essential health care is put on the chopping block.”
“New Yorkers have worked too hard to expand access to affordable health care to let politicians turn back the clock,” said Mark Hannay, director at Metro NY Health Care for All. “Mike Lawler may try to present himself as a moderate, but his support for Trump’s health care agenda tells a different story. These cuts will increase costs, reduce coverage, and threaten care for communities across the Hudson Valley and throughout New York.”
You can watch the full event here and learn more about GOP attacks on Medicaid here.