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Today is the sixtieth anniversary of the Medicare and Medicaid Act – which has provided health insurance to millions of seniors and American families over the decades. These two programs have worked well for a long time now, allowing people to live full and productive lives. The anniversary comes just weeks after Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans jammed through their Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires bill, which cuts almost a trillion dollars from Medicaid and raises health insurance costs, all to bankroll tax breaks for billionaires who already have more than they could ever know what to do with. It’s a disgrace. Tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders will have their health insurance eliminated, making people needlessly sick and destabilizing hospitals and the Ocean State’s already-fragile health care system. Despite promises made by President Trump, the new law also included a hidden cut to Medicare. By adding so much to the debt – $3.4 trillion – the legislation automatically triggers a law meant to limit deficits. The law will impose over $500 billion in automatic cuts to Medicare over the next decade. This has always been the Republican playbook – run up deficits with tax breaks for the rich and corporations, and then slash health care in the name of “fiscal responsibility.” As Congressional Republicans make budget-busting giveaways for their billionaire donors, I’m pushing to make our tax code fair and protect the programs seniors rely on to live in dignity during their golden years. I’ve introduced legislation to protect the solvency of Medicare and Social Security as far as the eye can see simply by having the nation’s highest earners start contributing their fair share. Please know I will do everything I can to keep trying to head off these cuts and to fix our health care system so that it actually works for more people – not fewer.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse |
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