Cuts to federal healthcare programs cut real people such as seniors and people with disabilities

Republicans in congress recently failed to pass legislation that would not only have repealed the Affordable Care Act and eliminated new Medicaid coverage for 11 million people, but would also have radically restructured the 52-year old Medicaid program that funds two-third of long-term services, including nursing home and in-home care for seniors and people with disabilities. Over 313,900 seniors and people with disabilities in Washington depend on Medicaid. In addition, Medicaid makes up a 47% of all federal funding in the state budget ($6.8 billion in 2015), so that federal cuts to state funding would shift huge costs to Washington.

Although Republicans failed to pass their Medicaid proposals as part of ACA repeal, and though roughly two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ proposed cuts to Medicaid, President Trump and House Republicans accelerated their assault with Medicaid cuts in the federal budget that are even deeper than those in their repeal bill. These cuts are part of a package that would at the same time provide trillions in tax breaks to millionaires and corporations.

Our members of congress must oppose any cuts that harm seniors, people with disabilities, or any other of our state’s most vulnerable. Slashing programs that hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians rely on is not the answer.