Washington, DC — Over the weekend, President Biden reached a deal to avoid default and protect millions of Americans’ health care. Republicans in Congress wanted to rip Medicaid away from 21 million Americans by imposing burdensome paperwork requirements, and they were threatening to default on our debt if they didn’t get their way. President Biden, with the support of Democrats in Congress, held the line insisting they wouldn’t agree to any deal that took health care coverage away from Americans, and the agreement protects Medicaid from any changes whatsoever. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
“President Biden drew a line in the sand and vowed to protect health care coverage in default negotiations, and he did. President Biden and Democratic lawmakers should be commended for protecting the economy from the devastating consequences of a Republican default and stopping the latest GOP plan to slash Medicaid. It should now be clear that Medicaid, like Social Security and Medicare, has the overwhelming support of the American people.
“Unfortunately, the Republican war on health care continues, and there is no doubt they will continue trying to rip away Medicaid from millions, hike drug and health insurance prices, and remove protections for pre-existing conditions. Republicans and their allies are also in court fighting to take away no cost preventive services, dismantle the Affordable Care Act, revoke reproductive rights, and upend the FDA’s drug approval process. The American people have repeatedly rejected Republican attacks on health care, but sadly, the threats are only growing.
“While Medicaid was protected in this deal, we must ensure that as lawmakers navigate the appropriations process, vital programs like food assistance and those that promote the health and well-being of people across America are protected as well.”