Dear John,

Last week, the Senate passed a budget with huge cuts to Medicaid and other key programs, in order to fund mass deportations. And this week, the House of Representatives will be voting on even bigger cuts to Medicaid to fund tax cuts for billionaires and pay for a new federal school voucher program. This is not an exaggeration; that’s their plan.

Congressional action will take center stage in the next few weeks. Please send a letter to your members of Congress opposing any cuts to Medicaid.

Inflation is going up, consumer confidence is going down, and Americans don’t think President Trump has done enough to lower the cost of everyday essentials. Yet the president’s allies in the House and Senate are proposing budgets that will make life harder for working people. And why? To find trillions for tax cuts for billionaires.

Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, student loans and more are all under attack—and we will fight any attempts to take funding away from kids and communities who simply want a chance to live the American dream. Americans, across party lines, are becoming wary of the priorities of this administration and the GOP Congress.

Cuts to Medicaid are deeply unpopular, and many House Republicans don’t want to vote for a bill that contains Medicaid cuts. Regardless of whether you’re in a blue, red or purple district, your representatives need to hear that Medicaid cuts are not acceptable.

There are 70 million people who get their healthcare through Medicaid. These cuts to Medicaid would mean many kids at our schools will lose access to dental care, doctor visits and more. They would mean some of our active cancer patients will have to stop treatment. They would mean seniors and people with disabilities will lose long-term care services—services often provided by AFT members. In addition to the impact on our students and patients, these cuts would mean the elimination of healthcare jobs.

Regardless of whether you’re in a blue, red or purple district, your representatives need to hear that Medicaid cuts are not acceptable. Send a letter now.

Thank you.

In unity,
Randi Weingarten

AFT President

P.S. Be sure to register to host a “Protect Our Kids” event on March 4 so we have a full list of all the actions nationwide to protect public education.