Democratic Governors Sound the Alarm on Republicans’ Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP

Democratic Governors Sound the Alarm on Republicans’ Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP

Democratic governors across the country are sounding the alarm on the devastating impact Donald Trump and Republicans’ extreme budget will have on families across the country, including cuts to Medicaid and SNAP and exploding the national deficit.

Here’s how Democratic governors are speaking out and serving as the last line of defense against Donald Trump’s attacks on the livelihood of American families:

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs on KTAR: “There are many hospitals and health centers across the state, in rural Arizona in particular, that will go under if they don’t have those Medicaid dollars paying for care that they’re giving… That could be the difference in life or death for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Arizonans.”

 California Governor Gavin Newsom: “This bill is a tragedy for the American people, and a complete moral failure. The President and his MAGA enablers are ripping care from cancer patients, meals from children, and money from working families — just to give tax breaks to the ultra-rich.”

Colorado Governor Jared Polis: “It’s deeply disappointing that all the Republican members of our delegation voted for this bill, despite being warned repeatedly of the damage it will cause for their constituents and our state. Colorado Republicans and Trump now own the devastating impacts, cost increases, and chaos this bill will impose on hardworking Coloradans and Americans.”

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont: “This bill is going to have devastating impacts on millions of Americans for years to come and was passed for the sole purpose of giving tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. […] Kicking people off their health insurance, defunding hospitals and nursing homes, and eliminating food and nutrition assistance is going to have a ripple effect throughout the country, causing workers to lose their jobs and premiums to go up.”

Delaware Governor Matt Meyer: “As we head into the July 4th weekend, I’m thinking about the thousands of Delaware families who rely on Medicaid and SNAP to stay healthy and fed. Cutting these programs will only lead to longer ER wait times and higher healthcare costs for everyone. That’s not the kind of independence we should be fighting for.”

Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green: “The Republican tax bill breaks promises, and guts funding for healthcare and food assistance that thousands of Hawai‘i families rely on every day. It’s a terrible bill […] These next few years won’t be easy, but we are mobilizing now to respond, protect our people, and make sure Hawai‘i can weather what’s coming.”

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker: “Trump and his MAGA allies are making the richest people richer with a massive and unneeded tax break while making life more expensive for hardworking families. This bill will kick millions off of Medicaid, increase premiums for ACA plans, and raise food and energy prices. No state in the nation can backfill these cruel cuts, but the State of Illinois will use every tool in our toolbox to minimize harmful impacts and fight back.”

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly: “Donald Trump enacted the most devastating piece of legislation that Americans have witnessed in generations. It will rip away health care for over 17 million Americans, throw seniors out of nursing homes, and kill good-paying jobs while forcing kids to go hungry and exploding the national deficit. Rural towns will be hit especially hard with hospital closures, jobs lost, and small businesses shuttered – all to give huge handouts to the wealthy.”

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on CNN: “It’s going to devastate rural health care all while adding trillions of dollars to our national debt, and it’s going to upend every state budget across the country. You know what’s sad is that while Democratic governors are speaking out, we’re not speaking out because we’re Democrats. We’re speaking out because we’re supposed to be the best governors of our states that we can be.”

Maine Governor Janet Mills on NPR: “People describe this bill as beautiful. I don’t see anything beautiful about it. There’s nothing pretty about cutting food to hungry children. Nothing pretty about preventing people from getting to their doctor when they have a healthcare problem or preventing the doctor from being paid. Nothing pretty about threatening rural hospitals or driving up the cost of energy.”

Maryland Governor Wes Moore on CNN: “This is the largest consolidation of wealth that we have seen in our nation’s history, and it is something where you are knocking the most vulnerable off of any type of basic support that were promised to them […]. The truth is that Maryland and no other state that has the coffers, that has the balance sheet to be able to make up for the hole that the federal government has just put us all in.”

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey: “Congress just passed Donald Trump’s budget bill, which is a vote to take away food, take away health care, and make life more expensive for everyone. […] Now at the same time, I’ve been working on a responsible budget for the people of Massachusetts. We want you to have access to health care, to education, and transportation. I want you to be able to afford groceries, housing, heat and electricity. That’s what we’re focused on delivering, and we’re not going to let Donald Trump get in the way of that.”

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer: “Republicans in the United States House passed a reckless bill that threatens the health, security, and economic stability of millions-including hundreds of thousands of Michiganders who stand to lose their Medicaid coverage, and countless working families who rely on SNAP benefits to put food on the table. Over 15,000 Michiganders sent stories to me about how these cuts will devastate their lives.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz: “Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber just voted to tear health care away from a quarter million Minnesotans so Trump can give tax cuts to billionaires. We will do everything we can to help Minnesotans impacted by their Medicaid cuts, but we’ll never fully reverse the damage they’ve caused.”

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy: “On the eve of our nation’s 249th birthday, Congressional Republicans just voted to abandon tens of millions of American families. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect hardworking New Jerseyans from the implications of this shameful legislation.”

New Mexico Governor Michelle Luján Grisham: “Make no mistake: this Republican budget will hit New Mexico hard. From cuts to Medicaid funding that keeps our rural hospitals open, to reductions in food assistance for children, to threats against education programs that ensure our kids have a brighter future, this budget puts politics over people. […] My administration is going through this budget with a fine-tooth comb, identifying every threat to our state, and we’re going to fight like hell to protect what matters most.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul: “There’s nothing beautiful about this bill. It’s a big, ugly betrayal — stripping health care, hiking costs and slashing food assistance for millions. And it was made possible by New York’s seven Republican members of Congress. […] I’ve been very clear that no state can backfill the massive cuts in this bill or undo the damage Republicans just caused. But my team and I are working closely with the Legislature to brace for the impact and protect as many New Yorkers as possible.”

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein: “More than half a million people stand to lose their health care, tens of thousands working in clean energy and manufacturing could lose their jobs, electricity bills could rise nearly 20 percent, and 1.4 million people – including 600,000 children – could find themselves without the help they need to afford food. […] Even as those in Washington have left North Carolinians behind, I stand ready to do whatever I can to protect people’s health care and jobs and keep children fed and healthy. We can and must do better.”

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek: “The money that helps Oregonians see a doctor or put dinner on the table for their family is now going into the pockets of those who need it the least. […] Every dollar stripped from these services and put towards the top 1% is a moral failure. This budget was inked in greed, not human dignity. I will use every single tool we have to fight for what Oregon holds dear.”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro: “The federal budget bill Congress just passed is shameful and it is going to hurt Pennsylvania. The Republican members of our delegation who voted for this bill just voted for: cutting healthcare and food assistance for over half a million Pennsylvanians, eliminating 26,000 energy jobs and raising our electricity bills, putting at risk rural hospitals across Pennsylvania — all while adding an unconscionable $3.3 trillion to our national deficit.”

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee: “For many of our neighbors, this law reduces access to supports like SNAP food assistance. It puts health insurance for thousands of Rhode Islanders in jeopardy, breaking President Trump’s empty promise to protect Medicaid. It eliminates vital energy tax credits, making it harder to expand our energy supply and risking higher costs for families.”

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson: “The MAGA Congress just passed devastating cuts that will take Medicaid from 250,000 Washingtonians. […] Donald Trump’s morally bankrupt policy will cause our most vulnerable Washingtonians to lose their health care coverage and likely force hospital closures across the state, all to pay for tax breaks for the richest Americans.”

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers: “Trump’s Big Disaster Bill:

👎 Guts healthcare for millions of Americans

👎 Cuts food assistance for kids and families

👎 Raises household utility bills

👎 Adds trillions to the federal deficit

All to pay for tax cuts for the rich and wealthy. That’s nothing to celebrate.”

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