“Speaker McCarthy went to Wall Street to deliver a message that he wants to protect tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, and then introduced a bill to make everyone else pay for it by gutting Medicaid.”
Executive Director Emily Stewart

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

April 19, 2023 

CONTACT: Jack Cardinal, (781) 960-5208, jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org 

BOSTON, MA — Two days after the Speaker of the House delivered a speech to Wall Street on the debt ceiling, House Republicans unveiled their demands which contain the tired refrain of taking health care and food away from the people who need it most. 

Statement from Emily Stewart, Executive Director of Community Catalyst:

“Everybody deserves to have access to quality, affordable health care. Unfortunately, Speaker McCarthy went to Wall Street to deliver a message that he wants to protect tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations and then introduced a bill to make everyone else pay for it by gutting Medicaid.

“Congress should not be balancing the federal budget at the cost of health care for older adults, people with disabilities, children and people with low-incomes. Particularly when the ultra-rich and giant corporations continue to not pay their fair share in taxes. 

“Taking health care away from people cannot be a political bargaining chip. With the cost of everything from eggs to prescription drugs rising, we should be making Medicaid more accessible to those who need it most, not more difficult. Congress should fulfill its constitutional responsibility and raise the debt ceiling with absolutely no cuts to Medicaid.” 

Background:

  • The Speaker of the House recently delivered a speech on Wall Street laying out House Republicans’ demands for addressing the debt ceiling.
  • The proposal included cuts to Medicaid under the guise of “work requirements” and comes at a time when states are expanding, not restricting, access to Medicaid.
  • There is no evidence a work requirement increases long-term employment or reduces poverty, instead onerous red tape could jeopardize the health care of millions of people and exacerbate existing racial disparities in health care. 

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About Community Catalyst:  

Community Catalyst is a leading non-profit national health advocacy organization dedicated to advancing a movement for race equity and health justice. We partner with local, state and national advocates to leverage and build power so all people can influence decisions that affect their health. Health systems will not be accountable to people without a fully engaged and organized community voice. That’s why we work every day to ensure people’s interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and health care are made: in communities, state houses and on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit http://www.communitycatalyst.org. Follow us on Twitter @CommCatHealth.