This week, in a stunning betrayal to Americans, House Republicans advanced a devastating budget plan, which would cut healthcare in order to provide $4.5 trillion in tax breaks that overwhelmingly go to billionaires.
Despite Donald Trump’s promise to lower the cost of living for Americans on day one, the cuts supported by House Republicans will increase costs and make life more difficult for hard-working Americans, and in addition to making billionaires wealthier, their budget bill will increase our national debt by $1.6 trillion. Simply put, the House Republican budget will make America sicker, poorer and hungrier so that billionaires can buy more yachts, jets and luxury homes, and ensures our children inherit even more crippling debt.
To be clear, there’s no way Republicans can achieve the mandatory cuts outlined in their budget bill without carving up Medicaid, which touches nearly 2/3 of all adult Americans. There are more than 72 million Americans who depend on Medicaid, including over 130,000 El Pasoans. Despite the fact that Texas hasn’t expanded Medicaid coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), nearly 20 million Americans rely on the ACA for health coverage, including 95,000 El Pasoans.
But Medicaid funds care for Americans with disabilities – children and adults; it funds care that the elderly and others get in nursing homes and through home health services; it funds care that newborns and children get in hospitals, especially children's hospitals; it funds community clinics and behavioral health facilities that help with the opioid crisis; and so much more.
These cuts won’t just hurt the recipients. They’ll translate into cuts to providers (like hospitals and doctors), and that will impact healthcare jobs in our community as well. As benefits get taken away, so will the jobs created by the healthcare providers who will also shoulder the cuts.
It's not just healthcare that’s on the Republicans’ chopping block: nutrition programs are as well. Over 40 million Americans, including 152,000 El Pasoans, rely on SNAP to help feed their families. But this budget slashes at least $230 billion from food assistance programs, even as grocery prices remain high despite Donald Trump’s empty promises to immediately lower grocery bills.
Did you know that according to recent USDA data, every $1 our community receives in SNAP benefits circulates into the local economy with a $1.54 return on investment? That means these cuts don’t just harm families – they hurt our local economy as well.
Despite being a member of the minority, I exercised every tool at my disposal in the lead up to the budget vote. As a member of the Budget Committee, I offered amendments to attempt to mitigate the harm Republicans would create with their cuts to key programs during a recent 12-hour debate of the bill. The morning of the vote, I joined House Democratic Leadership for a press conference to detail the devastation the Republican budget would have on communities across America. And prior to the vote, I spoke on the House Floor during debate on the bill, urging my Republican colleagues to work with House Democrats and put the needs of millions of Americans over billionaires. My House Democratic colleagues and I have been united and committed in our defense of the American people. In fact, two of my colleagues who were home after hospital stays surprised the entire House when they showed up to vote on behalf of their constituents.
Rep. Brittany Petterson flew from Colorado with her four-week-old son after Speaker Johnson refused to let her vote remotely despite having had a baby only a month ago. Rep. Kevin Mullen flew across the country as soon as he was discharged from the hospital after having undergone 3 surgeries, a blood clot, and an infection.
We all knew how important it was to try to defeat this terrible bill. Unfortunately, Republicans (except for one) lied to themselves and each other, claiming there would be no Medicaid cuts as a result of this budget resolution. They may convince themselves, but don’t let them fool you.
This week’s vote makes it clear that Republicans are more afraid of retaliation from Elon Musk and Donald Trump more than they are of the devastation this will do to Americans, our healthcare jobs and our local economies. It’s why it’s more important than ever that we continue our pressure campaign.
Many of us saw the viral videos and articles of Republicans facing angry constituents last week. And several of those Republicans, such as Richard McCormick and Scott Fitzgerald, have spoken publicly against DOGE and pledged to get their constituents more information. Now, they both voted for the devastating budget plan, but their turnaround on the mass firings shows that your voice matters.
We need at least three Republicans to join Democrats to side with hard-working Americans instead of the billionaire class. Please continue to stay engaged, informed and active. And I’ll keep you posted.
