Congressional Black Caucus Fights Proposed Health Care Cuts and Advocates for Medicaid

TL/DR –

Six members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Chairwoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY), voiced their opposition to substantial health care cuts during a press conference on May 15. The caucus members argued against the proposed budget cuts set to affect social programs and strip 13.7 million people of their health insurance across the nation, including over 200,000 in Virginia. The discussion occurred a day before the U.S. House Budget Committee failed to pass President Trump’s budget plan, with GOP members pushing for more substantial reductions.

Black Caucus Members Discuss Healthcare Cuts Impact & Messaging Strategy

Six Congressional Black Caucus members, including Chairwoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-WA), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), detailed their fight against extensive healthcare cuts in a media session on May 15. This took place a day prior to the Republican failure to push President Trump’s budget plan through the U.S. House Budget Committee.

“We understood the assignment”, asserted Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (D-VA). She highlighted that the proposed cuts, intended to fund tax reductions, would detrimentally affect people’s healthcare coverage. McClellan stated, “They’re planning to strip 13.7 million people off their health insurance nationwide. In Virginia, over 200,000 citizens will lose coverage, creating a serious deficit in our state budget.”

Addressing why Democrats are primarily focused on Medicaid, despite the budget slashes to numerous areas including education, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) provided insight. “Healthcare is a major issue”, she stated, attributing the heightened focus to the prevailing sentiment of the public. She made specific reference to the assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, noting that the unexpected public response indicated the issue’s importance.

The struggle over healthcare provision has persisted since the Affordable Care Act’s enactment in 2010. While Republicans push for a more private healthcare system, Democrats continue to promote policies that would extend coverage to more Americans, such as Medicaid expansion.

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