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IN THE STATES: Lawmakers and Advocates Underscore The Importance of Medicaid As Republicans Want to Slash Funding

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February 21, 2025
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Headlines Across The Nation Show Americans Agree That Large Cuts to Medicaid Proposed by the GOP Are a Bad Idea

Over the past week, Democratic lawmakers and health care advocates joined Protect Our Care for 14 events across 11 states to tell Republicans to tell Congress that Medicaid cuts must be off the table as Republicans negotiate a budget reconciliation package. Protect Our Care also hosted an event with Democratic governors in Washington D.C. to call out the dangerous plans to cut Medicaid and how it would impact the states. 

Recent reporting shows congressional Republicans intend to slash Medicaid funding by at least $880 billion and up to $2 trillion to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy and big corporations, resulting in millions losing coverage, including children, new moms, seniors, and people with disabilities. This week, President Trump endorsed the House budget plan while Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has confirmed the GOP plan to dismantle Medicaid, saying Elon Musk will cut at least “a trillion” from Medicaid. Americans across party lines oppose cuts to Medicaid, and new polling finds that a majority of Americans think the government should spend more on health care — not less. 

NATIONAL

On Thursday, Governors Josh Green, M.D. (HI), Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM), Ned Lamont (CT), Tina Kotek (OR), and Matt Meyer (DE) joined Protect Our Care to highlight how Medicaid is a lifeline in their states.

NBC: Democratic Governors Warn Against Potential Medicaid Cuts in Upcoming Budget Package.

  • “Democratic governors in town for the National Governors Association conference railed against Republican proposals to cut billions of dollars in Medicaid funding, warning that it could imperil millions of children and patients in rural areas.”
  • “‘People will die if we break this healthcare system, especially in rural America,’ Green told reporters during a press conference organized by Protect Our Care and the Democratic Governors Association.”

WBOY: Democratic Governors Sound Alarm Over Proposed Medicaid Cuts.

  • “Democratic governors from across the country are speaking out against proposed Medicaid cuts, warning that millions of Americans could lose access to essential healthcare services. As congressional Republicans push forward with their budget plan, Democratic leaders argue that the proposal threatens the future of Medicaid.”

WSPA: Democratic Governors Sound Alarm Over Proposed Medicaid Cuts

  • “Democratic governors from across the country are speaking out against proposed Medicaid cuts, warning that millions of Americans could lose access to essential healthcare services.”

IN THE STATES

ALASKA

Tuesday, February 18 – Event with Alaska Caregivers: Members of the SEIU Alaska Caretakers Union who recently traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with Alaska’s Congressional Delegation and discuss the importance of protecting Medicaid joined Protect Our Care Alaska to discuss their experience and why they are fighting for Medicaid. “We can’t just sit around and wait for this to get better,” said B.J. Redd Mendez of Wasilla Alaska. “I went to D.C. to fight for change. Without Medicaid my clients can’t get the care they need, and I won’t get paid for the care I provide.” You can watch the event here, and read the post-event release here.

ARIZONA

Thursday, February 20 – Medicaid Defense Event with First Responders and Advocates: Emergency physician Dr. Larry DeLuca, PA and SEIU member Joy Watson and AARA president Linda Somo joined Protect Our Care Arizona to discuss how unpopular cuts to Medicaid will hurt Arizona families, jeopardize funding for hospitals, and strain the state budget. “We have been through this before,” said Dr. Larry DeLuca. “It was a complete disaster. Our hospitals, which are already busy now, were completely overrun with patients. We lost access to primary care, to specialty care, and what happened was we saw people who were incredibly sick that didn’t have to be. Depression became suicidality, heart  disease became heart failure, and so we ended up having a lot more hospital admissions.” You can read the post-event release here, and watch the full event here.

CALIFORNIA

  • KPFA: Health care policy advocate Leslie Dach analyzes the new republican budget with proposed radical dismantling of Medicare and Medicaid
  • Playbook CA: Can Valadao avoid his health care Kryptonite?

Tuesday, February 18 – Medicaid Defense Event with U.S. Rep. Mike Levin and California Health Care Advocates: Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49), medical providers, and patients with Medi-Cal demanded that Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration halt proposals to cut Medicaid funding and endanger health care services for millions of Americans. “We don’t have to guess what happens when Medicaid funding is slashed. We’ve seen it before. These proposed cuts would hit Vista Community Clinic and health centers like it the hardest. Clinics could be forced to lay off staff, cut programs, and reduce the number of patients they can treat. Patients could lose access to preventative care, end up in emergency rooms, and face skyrocketing medical bills,” said Rep. Levin. “Congressional Republicans want to cut Medicaid to pay for massive tax breaks to the ultrawealthy and giant corporations. They are telling working families, seniors, and people with disabilities that it is OK for them to get sicker so that billionaires like Elon Musk can get even richer.” You can view the post-event release here.

  • KUSI [San Diego FOX]
  • KPBS [San Diego NPR]
  • KOGO [San Diego Radio]
  • KNSD [San Diego NBC]
  • KGTV [San Diego ABC]

Tuesday, February 18 – “Hands off Medi-Cal” Town Hall Targeting Rep. Valadao with SEIU Members, Advocates and Labor Groups: Healthcare workers, patients, and community advocates mobilized to stop devastating Medicaid cuts — known as Medi-Cal in California — before it’s too late. This week, town hall meetings happened across California to send a clear message: “Hands Off Medi-Cal!” Leaders and locals came together to defend healthcare access for all Californians and call on Rep. David Valadao to stand against any proposed Medicaid cuts. Cuts to Medi-Cal would put healthcare at risk for 15 million Californians who rely on the program, endanger local hospitals and healthcare jobs, reduce essential home care services that help seniors and children with disabilities remain in their homes, and drive up healthcare costs for everyone in the state.These town halls are part of a broader national movement pushing back against efforts by billionaires to gut federal programs like Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. You can view photos, interviews, and footage of the town hall here.

Wednesday, February 19 – “Hands off Medi-Cal” Town Hall Targeting Rep. Calvert with SEIU Members, Advocates and Labor Groups: Healthcare workers, patients, and community advocates mobilized to stop devastating Medicaid cuts — known as Medi-Cal in California — before it’s too late. This week, town hall meetings happened across California to send a clear message: “Hands Off Medi-Cal!” Leaders and locals came together to defend healthcare access for all Californians and call on Rep. Ken Calvert to stand against any proposed Medicaid cuts. Cuts to Medi-Cal would put healthcare at risk for 15 million Californians who rely on the program, endanger local hospitals and healthcare jobs, reduce essential home care services that help seniors and children with disabilities remain in their homes, and drive up healthcare costs for everyone in the state. These town halls are part of a broader national movement pushing back against efforts by billionaires to gut federal programs like Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. You can view photos, interviews, and footage of the town hall here.

Thursday, February 20 – “Hands off Medi-Cal” Town Hall Targeting Rep. Kim with SEIU Members, Advocates and Labor Groups: Healthcare workers, patients, and community advocates mobilized to stop devastating Medicaid cuts — known as Medi-Cal in California — before it’s too late. This week, town hall meetings happened across California to send a clear message: “Hands Off Medi-Cal!” Leaders and locals came together to defend healthcare access for all Californians and call on Rep. Young Kim to stand against any proposed Medicaid cuts. Cuts to Medi-Cal would put healthcare at risk for 15 million Californians who rely on the program, endanger local hospitals and healthcare jobs, reduce essential home care services that help seniors and children with disabilities remain in their homes, and drive up healthcare costs for everyone in the state. These town halls are part of a broader national movement pushing back against efforts by billionaires to gut federal programs like Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. You can view photos, interviews, and footage of the town hall here.

GEORGIA

Thursday, February 20 – Medicaid Defense Event with Congressman Hank Johnson and Georgia Health Care Advocates: Congressman Hank Johnson and Protect Our Care visited a Care One Franchise personal care home to discuss the GOP’s latest budget plan to slash Medicaid funding by at least $880 billion to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy and big corporations. These cuts would result in millions of the most vulnerable  Americans losing health care, including children, new moms, seniors, and people with disabilities. “President Trump and House Republicans promised they would lower costs for everyday Americans,” said Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04). “They lied. Instead, they just announced a new push to cut Medicaid and take health care away from kids, parents, and seniors. The Trump-Musk-House Republican budget includes hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid and food assistance for kids, seniors, and veterans.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

IOWA

Thursday, February 13 – “Have a Heart, Protect Medicaid” Petition Drop-Off Event with Health Care Advocates: Protect Our Care Iowa coordinated a petition drop-off event with local storytellers at the Indianola office of Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Storytellers arrived at the office with over 575 printed petitions to share their stories with staff and call on their representatives to stop these harmful attacks on working families, seniors, people with disabilities, and children by opposing plans to cut critical programs like Medicaid in order to fund more tax breaks for billionaires and wealthy corporations.

Friday, February 14 – “Have a Heart, Protect Medicaid” Petition Drop-Off Event with Health Care Advocates: Protect Our Care Iowa coordinated a petition drop-off event with local storytellers at Representative Nunn’s Des Moines office. Constituents delivered a petition with hundreds of signatures demanding that Representative Nunn protect Medicaid instead of giving more tax cuts to billionaires. House Republicans released a budget plan this week that proposes deep cuts to Medicaid in order to pay for more tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy. “Our representatives must stand up for us and put a stop to destructive funding cuts to health care for working families, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities,” Matt Chapman, from Waukee said. “We demand that they oppose budget proposals to cut essential programs like Medicaid just to fund additional tax breaks for the rich and huge corporations.” You can view the post-event release here.

  • WHO-DM: Iowans call on Rep. Nunn to save Medicaid
  • KDSM: Iowans deliver a petition to Rep. Nunn’s office (also ran during the subsequent 4am news hour)

MAINE

Wednesday, February 19 – Medicaid Defense Event with Maine Rep. Annie Graham and Cancer Survivor Marie Follaytarr: Maine Rep. and retired pediatric nurse Annie Graham and Leukemia survivor Marie Follaytar joined Protect Our Care Maine for an in-person press event discussing the latest GOP plan to drastically cut Medicaid funding and what this would mean for Mainers. Speakers also called on Senator Collins to protect this critical funding. “When I say health care is at risk for 417,000 Mainers, I can tell you one of those lives might be mine,” said Marie Follaytarr. “When we defund Medicaid, we are taking away a line item in a hospital’s budget, your PCP’s budget, your local clinic’s budget and even if you aren’t on Medicaid your health care system will be impacted. Senator Collins can wield her gavel and appropriate securing healthcare and hospitals for Mainers. She can choose to let people like me who rely on Medicaid for medical food to live or die. She is the Chair of Appropriations, and it is within her power to negotiate every penny we need or not.” You can read the post-event release here.  

  • FOX 23 Maine: State lawmaker joins Portland rally against Medicaid cuts
  • Maine Morning Star: U.S. Senate Dems issue warning on ‘massive cuts’ to Medicaid predicted in GOP budget
  • WGME: State lawmaker joins Portland rally against Medicaid cuts
  • Maine Public: Health care advocates are calling on state lawmakers to protect Medicaid funding

MICHIGAN

Thursday, February 20 – Detroit News Op-Ed by Michigan Hospital Association CEO Brian Peters about Protecting Medicaid: Protect Our Care Michigan placed an opinion piece by Michigan Health and Hospital Association CEO Brian Peters about how affordable, high-quality health care is essential for a community to thrive, which is why cutting funding for Healthy Michigan Plan, the state’s Medicaid program, would hurt communities across Michigan. “As the CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, I know firsthand what Medicaid cuts would do to hospitals, essential services, Michigan’s healthcare industry and the economy as a whole” Peters writes. “Medicaid is an important program across all state hospitals, but especially for the 65 rural hospitals that depend on it to keep their doors open.” You can read the full op-ed here. 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Friday, February 14 – Medicaid Defense Event with New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute and Strategies for Disability Equity: Phil Sletten of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute and Lisa Beaudoin of Strategies for Disability Equity joined Protect Our Care New Hampshire to discuss Governor Ayotte’s proposed state budget and how cuts to Medicaid would put essential health care services at risk. “Small changes to Medicaid funding can have a big impact on the rest of the budget,” said Phil Sletten of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute.”If you were to see a swing in federal funds of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, that would affect other parts of the state budget around health services and other services to fund that Medicaid shortfall, or Medicaid services themselves may have to change to stay in line with the budget.” You can watch the full event here, and view the post-event release here. 

  • Patch: Experts Warn Medicaid Cuts Threaten New Hampshire’s Budget and Health
  • The Tip Sheet: Experts Warn Medicaid Cuts Threaten New Hampshire’s Budget and Health Care Access
  • Boston Globe: 7 Key Takeaways from NH Governor Kelly Ayotte’s ‘recalibration’ budget

NEW YORK

Wednesday, February 19 – Medicaid Defense Event with U.S. Representative Laura Gillen, Assemblymember Solages, 1199SEIU, and Health Care Advocates: Rep. Laura Gillen (NY-04), Assembly Member Michaelle Solages, 1199SEIU and local advocates joined Protect Our Care New York to discuss the GOP’s latest budget plan to put billionaires over Americans. Recent reporting shows congressional Republicans intend to slash Medicaid funding by at least $880 billion to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy and big corporations, resulting in millions losing coverage, including children, new moms, seniors, and people with disabilities. “I’m calling on my colleagues – on both sides of the aisle – to join me in protecting Long Islanders’ access to health care. The proposed cuts to Medicaid would devastate Nassau County, putting over 100,000 of my constituents’ health care in jeopardy and raising health care costs for tens of thousands more,“ said Rep. Gillen. “We need to be working to protect and strengthen access to health care, not ripping it away from the seniors, children, and veterans on Long Island who count on Medicaid to access the life-saving care they need.” You can view the post-event release here.

NORTH CAROLINA

  • WPTF: Protect Our Care launches a multimillion dollar “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign
  • WPTF: Protect Our Care launches a multimillion dollar “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign (includes quote from Leslie’s interview)
  • WPTF: Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach Interview

Wednesday, February 19 – Medicaid Defense Event with Congresswoman Deborah Ross, State Representative Sarah Crawford, and Health Care Advocates: Congresswoman Deborah Ross, State Rep. Sarah Crawford, and Retired Storyteller Haywood Watson joined Protect Our Care North Carolina to discuss the GOP’s latest budget plan to put billionaires over Americans. “In 2023, North Carolina opted into Medicaid Expansion. We received $14 billion in federal Medicaid funding. 59% of all federal dollars that our state received –  and let’s be clear, those are your tax dollars coming back to North Carolina – to help your family, your friends, and your neighbors. From the mountains to the coast,  particularly in our rural areas, millions of North Carolinians rely on this funding to access the health care they need,” said Congresswoman Deborah Ross.  “Federal funding for Medicaid has the power to save and enrich lives. President Trump, Elon Musk and Congressional Republicans who refuse to speak up are putting lives at risk in their quest to cut funding for rich donors. I am committed to doing everything that I can to fight back and I’m doing it every day. We need to protect these essential benefits and services that North Carolinians rely on. Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and VA benefits support so many people’s well-being.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

  • NCNewsline: US, NC representatives blast GOP plan to slash Medicaid funding for North Carolina
  • WPTF: Protect Our Care launches a multimillion dollar “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign

PENNSYLVANIA

Wednesday, February 19 – Medicaid Defense Event with Health Care Advocates: Constituents from Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, community groups, and local advocates rallied outside Congressman Ryan Mackenzie’s District Office to protest his potential vote to slash billions in Medicaid funding. “This shouldn’t surprise us,” said Allentown City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach. “We’ve seen from Day One they are going to come for the most vulnerable, the most marginalized.” Pediatrician Linda Famigilo said, “He’s going to vote on this and it’s going to be so tight, every vote is going to make a difference. He can make a difference to our kids.”

  • Lehigh Valley News: Outside congressman’s office, protesters make noise over potential Medicaid cuts
  • WFMZ: Rally held outside local congressman’s office, as lawmakers consider cutting funding from Medicaid

Thursday, February 20 – Medicaid Defense Event with Health Care Advocates: Constituents from Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, along with community groups and local advocates, gathered outside Congressman Scott Perry’s District Office for a candlelight vigil to mourn health care losses, should Rep. Perry vote to slash billions in Medicaid funding.

  • FOX43: Pa. healthcare workers rally against Medicaid cuts concerns in nursing care push

WEST VIRGINIA

  • Dominion Post: Local health systems concerned over possible Medicaid cuts
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