It has been almost one year since Republicans made the largest health care cuts in history, slashing over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in H.R. 1 to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. In the months that followed, they also ripped away the health care tax credits that helped millions of families get life-saving coverage. Instead of lowering costs, Republicans caused a health care affordability crisis that has already left more than 5 million Americans without coverage, according to new analysis by Protect Our Care first reported by NBC. Congressional Democrats, elected leaders, and experts are sounding the alarm as the consequences are only going to get worse, holding Republicans accountable for the devastating consequences of their health care cuts, and making clear who is responsible for higher costs, lost coverage, and reduced access to care.
Headlines
NBC: Medicaid and ACA Enrollment Falls by More Than 5 Million, New Report Finds
Common Dreams: More Than 5 Million People Have Lost Health Coverage Under Trump-GOP Law
International Business Times UK: ‘Five Million and Counting’: The Chilling Human Toll of Trump’s Record-Breaking Healthcare Cuts
Members of Congress & Elected Officials
Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY): “Trump and Republicans enacted massive Medicaid cuts and refused to extend ACA premium tax credits. The result? 5 MILLION Americans have lost Medicaid and ACA coverage. Each one a real person forced to choose between health care and paying the bills.” [X, 06/23/26]
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA): “Republicans made a CHOICE. They passed a law to rip away health care from millions. They REFUSED to save the ACA tax credits. All while they showered billionaires & giant corporations with TRILLIONS in tax cuts. Now more than 5 million Americans have lost health care.” [X, 06/23/26]
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL): “As many as 5 million Americans have lost their health care since Republicans cut Medicaid by $1 trillion and refused to extend the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits. What’s worse, some of the more atrocious provisions of their “Big, Beautiful Bill” have not even gone into full effect yet. Republicans in Congress must reverse these devastating attacks on Americans’ care.” [X, 06/23/26]
Senator Tina Smith (D-MN): “Hegseth is on Capitol Hill asking for $80,000,000,000 to pay for the war in Iran as we speak” [X, 06/23/26]
Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ): “Americans have been forced into impossible healthcare decisions by this administration. Not having access to insurance is dangerous and it ultimately costs taxpayers more. This is unfortunately only the beginning of the hardship that will come from Trump’s policies.” [X, 06/23/26]
Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI): “Millions of Americans and thousands of Michiganders are getting kicked off their insurance or going without it. All because President Trump chose to cut healthcare so he could pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.” [X, 06/24/26]
Senate Democrats: “More than 5 million people have lost Medicaid and ACA coverage. It’s not an accident: Republicans approved nearly $1 TRILLION in Medicaid cuts last year. Now we’re seeing the real-life consequences of those decisions.” [X, 06/23/26]
Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Democratic Whip: “Republicans ripped healthcare away from millions of Americans. All to give a massive tax break to their billionaire donors. Democrats are fighting back to protect healthcare for working families.” [X, 06/23/26]
Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC-06): “Trump and Republicans cut Medicaid and the ACA by over a trillion dollars, and now 5 million Americans have lost their health care. And this is just the beginning. Spending money on pointless wars while cutting funding for Americans’ health care. Those are Trump and Republicans’ priorities for you.” [X, 06/23/26]
Rep Judy Chu (D-CA-28): “Over 5 million people have been kicked off Medicaid or ACA health insurance since Trump’s Big Ugly Bill and the GOP’s refusal to extend the ACA subsidies. Working families won’t have access to healthcare because of the GOP.” [X, 06/23/26]
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01): “Numbers don’t lie, even if Republicans did when they passed this awful bill. Americans are suffering from the Republican health care crisis, losing lifesaving care, and repealing their cuts is one of the reasons we need to stop them in November.” [X, 06/23/26]
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10): “Just a year after Republicans passed sweeping cuts to Medicaid in the Big Ugly Bill and increased Affordable Care Act premiums, enrollment in both programs has already fallen by 5 million participants. This seismic drop means fewer Americans receiving preventative care, including important screenings, and more sick Americans in our emergency rooms, longer wait times, and more out-of-pocket costs. Donald Trump’s agenda is bad for Americans.” [X, 06/23/26]
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL-10): “More than five million Americans are going without health insurance due to skyrocketing costs while billionaires get showered in tax cuts. In Illinois alone, nearly 200,000 residents lack coverage. Democrats are committed to prioritizing the needs of hardworking families, not the ultra-wealthy and well-connected.” [X, 06/23/26]
Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL-06): “5 million Americans have lost their health insurance solely because of the Republican’s Big Ugly Bill. Don’t let them deny it. Hold everyone of them accountable.” [X, 06/22/26]
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH-01): “They cut healthcare by nearly a trillion to pay for tax cuts for the super wealthy. Now, Americans are losing their healthcare 👇🏼🧵Tens of millions of Americans get their healthcare through Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act. The cuts will result in as many as 24 million losing their healthcare. That number is already five million. That means five million people no longer have healthcare. It’s a nightmare for them, and it will lead to higher costs for everyone else. It’s horrible and cruel policy. They made it so states would cut Medicaid, which they’re starting to do. So some of the hardworking people who don’t have a job that provides healthcare now have no healthcare. And they got rid of ACA subsidies, which means millions of people can no longer afford to buy healthcare on their own. Since their jobs don’t offer healthcare, they also have no healthcare now. It’s going to get worse. Way worse. The healthcare crisis in America is dominating the lives of millions, and will soon dominate all of our lives. We need a new Congress to restore people’s healthcare, and to end this crisis. There is no other way.” [X, 06/23/26]
Rep. Derek Tran (D-CA-45): “Millions of Americans are losing health care coverage because of President Trump’s ugly cuts in his ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’ I won’t stop fighting until every family has access to affordable, quality health insurance.” [X, 06/23/26]
Ways and Means Democrats: “You can’t afford health care but the Trump family has pocketed over $2.6 billion since he was elected.” [X, 06/23/26]
Governor Gavin Newsom: Thanks, Donald! [X, 06/23/26]
Experts
Robert Reich, former United States Secretary of Labor: “The number of people enrolled in Medicaid and ACA plans has fallen by more than 5 million in the past year. That’s in large part thanks to sweeping cuts from Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, which has become so unpopular he’s all but stopped talking about it.” [X, 06/23/26]
Ken Martin, Democratic Chair: “Last year, Donald Trump and Republicans passed the largest cut to healthcare in American history. Since then, Medicaid and Affordable Care Act enrollment has dropped by more than 5 million. Vote them out.” [X, 06/23/26]
Kristen Crowell, Executive Director, Families over Billionaires: “Since the GOP passed their One Ugly Bill last year, over 5 million people are without health care. Billionaires got a tax bailout and our communities lost health care.” [X, 06/24/26]