***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, AT 11:00AM CT***
Republicans in Congress Want to Gut Medicaid to Fund More Tax Breaks For the Wealthy and Large Corporations
Saint Paul, Minnesota – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, State Senator Zaynab Mohamed, and advocates will join Protect Our Care Minnesota to discuss the GOP’s latest budget plan to put billionaires over Americans. This conversation comes after every Republican lawmaker from Minnesota in the House of Representatives voted for a budget resolution that includes slashing Medicaid funding by nearly $1 trillion in order to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy and big corporations. This budget resolution opens the door for Republicans to achieve their goal of cutting up to $2 trillion from Medicaid, ripping away health care from tens of millions of 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. Americans across party lines oppose cuts to funding for health care programs like Medicaid, and new polling finds that a majority of Americans think the government should spend more on health care — not less. Speakers will discuss how these unpopular cuts will hurt Minnesota families, jeopardize funding for hospitals, and strain the state budget.
Medicaid is an essential pillar of the nation’s health care system that has kept people healthier, kept rural hospitals open, and saved lives, but Republicans are more concerned with taking care of their billionaire friends instead of protecting Minnesota families. If the GOP gets their way, 72 million Americans will be at risk of losing critical health care coverage they need to stay healthy. For years, rising health care costs have been on the top of people’s minds, and they have been a core part of the public’s economic concerns. Speakers will call on lawmakers to protect access to health care for Minnesotans, not take it away.
WHO: Senator Tina Smith, State Senator Zaynab Mohamed & Sermoune Blaylock with SEIU Minnesota
WHAT: Virtual Press Conference
WHEN: Thursday February 27th, 11:00AM CT
WHERE: Register for the virtual event here (Registration required)