Democratic Governors Slam Republicans Pushing Major Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP

Democratic Governors Slam Republicans Pushing Major Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP

DGA Chair Gov. Laura Kelly: “These are not cost shifts to the states. These are cuts to critical programs that thousands of Kansans and millions of Americans rely on.”

Yesterday, ahead of House Republicans voting to pass a disastrous budget bill that will deliver major cuts to health care and food assistance, Democratic governors condemned the threat to seniors, children, veterans, and rural communities.

DGA Chair Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham spoke about how the Republican budget bill will make it harder for families to put food on the table and could kick nearly 14 million people off their health insurance – all while jacking up prices. Democratic governors discussed how they are laser-focused on protecting and expanding health care and food assistance for the people in their states, despite Republican-led efforts to rip these vital programs away from millions of Americans.

“This proposed budget would force kids to go hungry and increase costs for all Americans,” said DGA Chair Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. “It would kick millions across the country off health insurance. These are not cost shifts to the states. These are cuts to critical programs that thousands of Kansans and millions of Americans rely on.”

“Blasting through these cuts is going to hurt those who can least afford care and won’t do anything to lower our healthcare costs. In fact, they’ll rise for everyone,” said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “The Republican budget would make the largest cuts to Medicaid in our country’s history. What does that look like here in Michigan? I can tell you. It means providers closing their doors. It means rural healthcare potentially not even being available for folks. It means reducing the quality of services or terminating coverage for kids and postpartum women. Make no mistake, families in Michigan and all across the country are going to feel the effects of this bill in our day-to-day lives.”

“Here’s the key part – without Medicaid, and [to] be clear, when we’re talking about Medicaid cutbacks, partially rolling back the expansion, asking states to pay more – there’s not money there at the state level. [Republicans are] basically asking states to do their dirty work for them and terminate people from their health care coverage if they cut federal funding,” said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. “It’s not just low-income Americans that are affected. It’s every American who gets commercial insurance, because the cost will be shifted onto them.”

“In every state – whether that’s a blue state or a red state – millions, hundreds of millions of Americans will be without health care. Healthcare, access, and coverage, hundreds of hospitals across the country … These cuts just get deeper and deeper,” said New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. “At a time when people can least afford it, it is literally a tariff on every American so that the ultra-rich mega-billionaires and corporations get to have yet another tax break.”

A recording of the press call is available upon request.

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