WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and 46 of his Senate colleagues sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson warning their Republican colleagues against bankrolling tax cuts for the rich by gutting Medicaid and slashing health care for children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Nearly 80 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) nationally. Medicaid covers nursing home bills for over 60% of all nursing home residents
“Republicans are proposing cuts to the Medicaid program from hundreds of billions to multiple trillions of dollars. Cuts to Medicaid through drastically changing the program’s financing structure or imposing additional barriers to coverage are dangerous to the millions of people who rely on the program,” the senators wrote.
“States simply cannot absorb these massive funding cuts without hurting children, seniors, people with disabilities, tribal populations, patients with chronic illnesses, and many other Americans who rely on Medicaid,” they continued.
The Republican budget proposal calls for extreme Medicaid cuts of up to $880 billion, which would take away people’s health benefits; make it harder for them to see their health care providers; and prevent seniors from getting nursing home care. Hickenlooper voted against the Republican budget resolution on the Senate floor.
Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
Dear Majority Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson:
As we begin a new Congress, we seek to pursue policies that improve the lives of Americans across this country. However, we are deeply concerned about recent reporting on Republican plans to use the budget reconciliation process to advance President Trump’s reckless agenda. While we disagree on these costly and misguided policies, we are hopeful that there is bipartisan understanding of Medicaid’s importance for millions across the country, that the Medicaid program should be enhanced rather than cut, and that Republican policies should not be paid for at the expense of working-class Americans losing their health care.
Medicaid is a lifeline for communities across the country. Nearly 80 million Americans get their health insurance through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provide services Americans rely on to remain healthy, go to school, and thrive at work. Medicaid pays for nearly half of all births in the U.S., provides health insurance coverage to nearly half of all of America’s children, provides care to 3 in 5 nursing home residents, and provides peace of mind to 17 million women of reproductive age. Medicaid is also a lifeline for rural communities, with children and non-elderly adults in rural areas more likely to be covered by Medicaid compared to those in urban areas.
Republicans are proposing cuts to the Medicaid program from hundreds of billions to multiple trillions of dollars. Cuts to Medicaid through drastically changing the program’s financing structure or imposing additional barriers to coverage are dangerous to the millions of people who rely on the program. These proposals will also force states to make difficult decisions that will result in millions getting kicked off their coverage and providers struggling to keep their practices open. States simply cannot absorb these massive funding cuts without hurting children, seniors, people with disabilities, tribal populations, patients with chronic illnesses, and many other Americans who rely on Medicaid.
Speaking about Medicaid last week, President Trump said, “We’re not going to do anything with that, unless we can find some abuse or waste. The people won’t be affected. It will only be more effective and better.”
Given that levels of abuse and waste within Medicaid are not commensurate to cutting billions from the program, President Trump and Congressional Leadership should uphold this commitment to enhance, rather than gut, Medicaid. The American people should be assured that Medicaid will be protected. We urge you to reject proposals that use Medicaid as a piggy bank for partisan priorities and continue to defend the importance of this vital program.
Sincerely,