‘It’s Time For The War On Healthcare To Stop’: Maria Cantwell Decries Possible Medicaid Cuts In GOP Budget

Forbes Breaking News

During a Senate Democratic press briefing on Tuesday, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) spoke about potential cuts to Medicaid within the Republicans' budget resolution.

Transcript

00:00We're here today to say it's time for the war on health care to stop.

00:10President Trump's cutting of NIH is causing great impacts to our health care system.

00:18President Trump's tariffs are causing higher costs on prescription drugs

00:23and the proposed budget that we still haven't seen the details on, $880 billion in Medicaid cuts,

00:32is going to cause a devastating impact to communities all across the United States.

00:38The fact that in my state, five to seven hospitals could close as a result of that

00:44and many other impacts on rural health care

00:48has caused a group of citizens to send a letter to my House colleagues

00:53urging them to oppose cuts to Medicaid rates,

00:58any adjustment to the federal medical assistance program,

01:05or direct Medicaid payment programs.

01:08Who are these people?

01:10Some of them are hospital CEOs, but guess who else they are?

01:16Republican state representatives, Republican county commissioners,

01:21city council people from the communities, they all know this is the wrong idea.

01:27And they are not interested in a sneak attack by the Republicans

01:31of saying that they can successfully cut $880 billion

01:36and not have an impact on our communities.

01:41They are going to have an impact, as I said, on closing hospitals,

01:44kicking people off of Medicaid as we've had a record expansion to hold down

01:50the cost of expensive insurance by covering them with Medicaid,

01:54and in addition, the impacts to long-term care.

01:58We know now that Medicaid is on such a short fuse

02:03of basically only having a very limited budget,

02:08and every penny counts.

02:09But 52% of that revenue comes from Medicaid.

02:14So if Medicaid is cut at any percentage, the impact to long-term care

02:20and kicking people off of their Medicaid for long-term care

02:23is going to have a devastating effect.

02:26And lastly, the same individuals who are involved with running our response

02:30to the fentanyl crisis know that if you cut Medicaid,

02:34you're also going to cut the recovery and treatment

02:37and also the housing that occurs in our jails

02:41of having the Medicaid resource to fight fentanyl,

02:45a scourge on our society.

02:46It's time for people to come clean in the House of Representatives

02:50and clarify that they, too, oppose Medicaid cuts.

02:54Thank you, Maria.

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