John,

Last week, I voted NO on my Republican colleagues’ budget plan, which would make deep cuts to Medicaid and other services that millions of Americans rely on.

Negotiations are continuing in the House and the Senate has yet to take a first vote, so now is the right time to keep pushing on this issue. Additionally, some members of the Trump administration and some Republican members of Congress seem open to messages about protecting Medicaid. In response to massive public outcry, some have paused or slowed their attacks on essential services.

We have power. We must not only push back against attacks on healthcare and other life-saving programs, but also work toward the society that all people deserve—with universal healthcare for all.

We also must defend a recent healthcare-related victory I helped secure with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB was set to change 15 million Americans’ lives this month by erasing $50 billion in medical debt from their credit reports. But Trump and Congressional Republicans are trying to reverse this victory. We can’t let that happen—will you join me in speaking out?

Sign the petition to leaders in our federal government: No cuts to Medicaid! Keep medical debt off our credit reports, and end medical debt altogether by pushing for universal healthcare for all!

Thank you for continuing to demand our human rights. Healthcare is a human right, not a commodity—and we need fundamental transformations to ensure that people get the care they need.

Whenever our federal government has made progress, it’s always moved in response to the people. Let’s stay loud.

With you in this fight,

Rashida

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rashida Tlaib
Date: Sat, Mar 1, 2025
Subject: Sign to stop Medicaid cuts and end medical debt
To: [email protected]

John,

This week, I voted NO on House Republicans’ budget, which would make massive cuts to programs that millions of lower-income and disabled Americans depend on every day—including $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid and threats to the Affordable Care Act.

As negotiations continue in the House and Senate, right now is the time to keep pushing back against planned cuts to healthcare. Some Republicans in Congress and the presidential administration have signaled that they may be susceptible to pressure from the public in support of Medicaid.

2.6 million Michiganders benefit from Medicaid coverage. If these attempts go forward, 36,000 residents of my Congressional district who receive coverage under the Affordable Care Act would see increases in their insurance premium payments. In my district alone, nearly 260,000 people who are on Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) would be at risk of losing their healthcare—including 100,000 children under 19 years old and 22,000 seniors over 65 years old.

I’m working alongside organizations to stop these proposed cuts, and to defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s plan to change the lives of 15 million Americans by removing $50 billion in medical debt from their credit reports. After passing policies to address medical debt, I worked with the CFPB to secure this much-needed relief, which was set to happen this month. Now we must protect this victory: Republican members of Congress are trying to overturn it, and the Trump administration is trying to dismantle the CFPB altogether.

Will you join me in demanding the leaders of our federal government stop cuts to healthcare and keep medical debt off credit reports?

No one chooses to get sick, and getting sick should never haunt someone financially. But 90% of bankruptcies are due to extreme medical debt, and thousands of Americans die each year just because they can’t afford healthcare—including people who have health insurance.

Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults have medical debt on their credit reports, which means they may be denied housing, employment, transportation, or other necessities because of a sudden health crisis or visit to the emergency room. In addition to pushing to ban medical debt from credit reports, I’ve also co-led legislation to go further and cancel all medical debt.

Healthcare is a human right—not a commodity. That’s why I’m advocating for Medicare for All, including within the Congressional Medicare for All Caucus.

Instead of letting corporations profit off our pain, the U.S. government must end medical debt and ensure universal healthcare for all. We have the money to do this. This money could come from the Pentagon budget, which takes nearly $1 trillion of our tax dollars each year, even though the Pentagon has failed to pass audits for 7 years in a row.

Please sign if you agree: Our federal government must stop cuts to healthcare, but we can’t end there. Federal leaders must also transform our healthcare system so everyone can get the care they need—by ending medical debt and ensuring universal healthcare.

Thank you for demanding the government we all deserve.

In response to the massive public outcry against attacks on essential services and programs, some Republicans and members of the Trump administration have walked back their harmful plans. So we must keep pushing—not only against attacks, but also for the world we need.

In solidarity,

Rashida