Email from Rural Americans United From the Methow to the Yakima Valley, people came together to protest harmful Medicaid cuts that target the most vulnerable.       What Is In This Newsletter? Fighting Fascism's Grip on Healthcare Progressive Strategies NW Data: Long Term Health Expanding Our Reaching   On Tuesday November 19, 2025, I joined a wonderful group of people who represent our communities in many different ways. Methow Rising, Okanogan Action Coalition, Methow People for Democracy, CW Resistance, Yakima Valley Healthcare Defense Partnership, and 350 Yakima Climate Action were all present, along with Maria Beltran, the former Legislative District fourteen Democratic candidate for the State Senate and current Democratic candidate for Congressional District 4, John Duresky. Together, we stood in protest against cuts to Medicaid and ACA subsidies outside Congressional District four’s Representative Do Nothing Dan Newhouse’s office in downtown Yakima. Do Nothing Dan Newhouse is a perfect example of a Republican on the ropes. He is incompetent, ineffectual, spineless, and obsequious, and despite these character traits of his, he has long been dismissed as merely benign, just a neutered mutt. His slow walking of conservation, his soft pedaling on immigration, his edging out of small farmers while supporting corporate farming, his passive aggressive leadership in wage suppression, his stalling of critical water projects, and much more have always been interpreted as “he is not that bad.” Unfortunately for Do Nothing Dan, he represents a high contrast district. Congressional District 4 is a place where the average household income is half the state average, where the majority of people depend on Medicaid, SNAP, and other assistance programs, where more than half of the population are second generation or newer American citizens and many remain undocumented, where two sovereign nations, the Yakama and the Colville, continue to endure hardship, where the fentanyl crisis is widespread, and where homelessness and food insecurity are epidemic. Yet he continues to support completely an administration that has placed these populations, our communities, in its cross hairs as the most undesirable of people whose rights, dignity, and in many cases very presence in this country are being stripped.  Dan’s almost silent shuffle through his obligations to the people of Congressional District 4 now sounds like thunder with every egregious vote he casts. He is literally attacking and harming the people he swore to represent. There is nothing that forty seven has done that is good, but we can say that his wrongdoing has shone a bright light upon his weak sycophants, and there is no longer anywhere for them to hide. Looking only at Medicaid cuts, there are four provisions that we must hold Dan and others like him accountable for because these changes will devastate rural areas. Mandating that adults who are eligible for Medicaid through the ACA expansion meet work and reporting requirements. This is estimated to cut three hundred twenty six billion dollars. People in rural Washington already face limited job opportunities, unreliable transportation, and lower wages. By imposing work mandates on adults in rural areas, this provision condemns many to losing their healthcare based on circumstances entirely beyond their control. Establishing a moratorium on new or increased provider taxes and reducing existing provider taxes in expansion states. This is estimated to cut one hundred ninety one billion dollars. States have few ways to generate their share of Medicaid funding. Provider taxes are one of the main tools they use. Limiting or reducing these taxes directly reduces the number of federal Medicaid dollars a state can draw down. This is not a legitimate cost saving measure. It is a calculated mechanism to deny Medicaid funding at the state level. Revising the payment limit for state directed payments. This is estimated to cut one hundred forty nine billion dollars. This is likely the most destructive provision. Rural hospitals and nursing homes operate with lower reimbursements, higher costs, and fragile budgets. States often use directed payments to channel needed funds to rural programs. This provision would prevent states from directing money where it is needed most. The result will be closures of rural nursing homes, hospitals, and community health providers. Increasing the frequency of eligibility redeterminations for the ACA expansion group. This is estimated to cut sixty three billion dollars. This provision is designed to remove eligible people from Medicaid by making the process burdensome and by expecting that people will be unable to comply or that the system will fail them. Either way, they are removed from coverage. Do Nothing Dan may have been able to justify some of his actions if these were truly cost saving measures. But they are not. They are cruel parlor tricks designed to deny benefits to people who need them desperately, and that is indefensible. It is pure cowardice. We have long known that MAGA cannot formulate real policy, and although there was a chance they might reduce costs, it is clear the only thing they are capable of is running a con. Cruel and incompetent. The data and narrative below is provided by Progressive Strategies Northwest Voter Turnout: Long Term Care In Washington's 2025 election, Washington State voters authorized the state's Long-Term Care tax to be invested in the stock market by a margin of about 16 points (58% to 42%). The measure -- supported by many labor unions and progressive organizations -- did especially well in King County and among Democratic voters. However, like many ballot measures, it had interesting cross-coalitional support. The measure did well in areas with higher-income and older voters, but struggled in some tax-averse, working-class communities. The most supportive rural areas tended to be more progressive, and higher in income and education rate, with retirement areas somewhat over-represented. Although just beyond the top performance list, many Hispanic and Native American communities (here represented by Nespelem) ranked highly. The lowest-performing rural communities tended to be highly conservative, with mostly white electorates. Most are in Eastern Washington, although portions of increasingly conservative, working-class Grays Harbor County also appear on the list. Expanding Our Reach and Strengthening Our Voice We strive for constant growth because standing still is not an option. Rural Americans United is currently in discussions with Help Save America and Prosperity Eastern Washington, a pro democracy group working in Congressional District five. Their focus is placing pro democracy messages on billboards in rural communities. This direction aligns closely with the work Rural Americans United has been pursuing for years. We have been delivering pro democracy messages to rural communities across Washington State through radio, direct mail, digital outreach, and community partnerships. If we are to fulfill our vision and cultivate a rural America where justice, inclusion, and informed voices prevail, we must ensure that every child born in this country is protected by the strength and resolve of the people. We will continue to fight fascism, defend our democratic values, and drown out the false and hateful narratives of MAGA. Rural communities deserve truth, dignity, and representation, and we will not back down in this fight.   Your Donation Is Important   Rural Americans United   Rural Americans United | 420 South 72nd Avenue Suite 180 PMB 110 | Yakima, WA 98908 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice