Democratic lawmakers scolded Republicans and the Trump administration on Wednesday for efforts to gut the Affordable Care Act amid rising costs at the pump and the grocery store, highlighting one of their key midterm campaign issues.
To close out the monthlong campaign, “Stop Taking Our Health Care,” Democrats in a town-hall event called on Republicans to prioritize federal healthcare coverage over the war in Iran and tax breaks for billionaires — the latter of which stems from deductions for corporations and top earners in the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Rep. Brendan Boyle, Pennsylvania Democrat, cited the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate that 15 million Americans are projected to lose healthcare coverage by 2034, driven primarily by Medicaid and ACA subsidy cuts in the bill.
“The bottom line is this: Millions and millions of people are about to lose their healthcare, all to subsidize tax breaks for billionaires,” said Mr. Boyle, the ranking member of the House Budget Committee.
Rep. Joe Morelle of New York said Republicans are prepared to sacrifice struggling American families for “an illegal and ill-advised war in Iran.”
“We can’t afford nutrition, we can’t afford to bolster Social Security, but we can spend $60 billion in a matter of five or six weeks on an ill-advised and unauthorized military incursion in Iran,” said Mr. Morelle, top Democrat on the House Administration Committee.
GOP proposals to cut Medicaid primarily focus on implementing strict work requirements, reducing “wasteful” spending with an aim of lowering the national debt. Supporters argue these changes — such as requiring 80 hours of work or community service monthly — promote personal responsibility, reduce dependency and ensure resources go to the truly needy, rather than “able-bodied” adults.
Republicans are also pointing to tax cuts approved last year, providing more take-home pay to all workers, not just wealthy Americans. They note that no Democrats voted for the legislation that eliminated taxes on tips and cut taxes on Social Security.
Audrey Horn, a retired Nebraskan who relies on the ACA for her family’s care, said that while billionaires and big corporations are benefiting from tax breaks, “Republicans want to cut health care even more to pay for an unnecessary war that is already making life for everyone more expensive.”
Tiffany Mason, who has cerebral palsy and relies on Medicaid, said that when Republicans cut Medicaid, “they didn’t just cut a line in the budget; they cut the care that helps people like me live independently.”
“Medicaid paid for the cost of my wheelchair. My wheelchair is my life. It’s how I get around,” she said. “Congressional Republicans’ vote puts that in jeopardy and potentially stops people from receiving durable medical equipment that they need.”
Rep. Debbie Dingell, Michigan Democrat, said she’s hearing from constituents “who are just one illness away from financial ruin, and they’re not isolated stories.”
“In the richest nation on earth, we need to be having a higher standard than this,” the chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee said.
