FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 10, 2025

Contact:  
Jack Cardinal, jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org 

“Cuts to health care, Medicaid, and other critical supports aren’t about fiscal responsibility — they’re a deliberate policy choice to put tax breaks for the wealthy ahead of care and community well-being.” 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, June 11, at 11 a.m. ET, Community Catalyst, individuals affected by proposed federal and state level Medicaid cuts, and a broad coalition of national organizations — including Popular Democracy in Action, Caring Across Generations, Families Over Billionaires, and more — will rally in Washington, D.C. to protest the largest cuts to health care in history moving through Congress. 

The reconciliation bill would gut Medicaid and slash other vital supports — putting tax breaks for billionaires and corporations ahead of care and community well-being. If passed, the bill would cut health care by $1 trillion and terminate health care coverage for 16 million people — accelerating hospital and health system closures across the country, especially in rural areas, and increase visits to emergency rooms. The proposal would also impose harmful work requirements, unnecessary red tape that deliberately strips health care from people with low-incomes, people with disabilities, older adults, and caregivers. 

The proposal also threatens access to care for the millions of people who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces. Last year, 24.2 million people relied on these plans to care for themselves and their families. The reconciliation bill would gut tax credits that make coverage more affordable and would drive up premiums, making ACA coverage more expensive and harder to access. 

WHY THIS MATTERS 

  • Voters want action to make health care affordable: Health care affordability is a top and growing concern across political affiliations. Nearly half of voters (42%) now cite health care affordability as a primary concern — up from the previous year — and a majority (54%) report struggling to afford health care and insurance costs, with even higher rates in states that have refused to expand Medicaid (59%). Voters overwhelmingly view health care as a public good (73%) and support stronger government action to lower costs and address medical debt. (HIT Strategies Poll, April 2025) 
  • Most Americans oppose steep Medicaid cuts: 72% of adults are concerned that proposed Medicaid funding cuts would cost people their health insurance, and 71% worry the cuts would harm hospitals, nursing homes, and other providers (KFF Poll, June 2025). 
  • Broad concern across party lines: While partisanship shapes views to some extent, about two-thirds or more of Republicans enrolled in Medicaid and those with lower incomes also fear that Medicaid spending reductions would hurt their families and communities (KFF Poll). The CBO projects that proposed changes — including new work requirements and stricter eligibility reviews — would leave 7.8 million more people uninsured by 2034. 

Communities of color, people with disabilities, women, older adults, and rural families would bear the brunt of these cuts — deepening race and economic injustice in health. 

“As a parent of an autistic child with intellectual and developmental disabilities, I know firsthand how essential health care, financial supports, and services like Medicaid are. From early intervention to school-based services, these resources have helped my son thrive. But for millions of families like mine, that support is already stretched too thin,” said Ellen Taverna, Associate Director, Together for Medicaid at Community Catalyst. “When federal funding is slashed, states are forced to cut services, reduce hours of care, limit who qualifies—and too often, rural hospitals and health systems are forced to close. That means fewer people get the care they need to stay healthy, independent, and at home. At Community Catalyst, we’re demanding better. We’re showing up to say: care and support are not optional—and they’re not up for cuts.” 

MORE ON THE EVENT 

  • WHAT: “Health Care Cuts Will Kill” Rally
  • WHEN: Wednesday, June 11, 11 a.m. ET 
  • WHERE: Upper Senate Park, 200 New Jersey Ave NW. Rally followed by Congressional office visits. 
  • WHO: Community Catalyst, Popular Democracy in Action, Housing Works, ADAPT (Free Our People), 1199SEIU, SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, DEBT Collective, People’s Action Institute, AFSCME, Be A Hero, Protect Our Care, Community Change Action, Families Over Billionaires, Families USA, Care Can’t Wait Action, Caring Across Generations, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, and individuals affected by proposed federal and state level Medicaid cuts. 

Press can RSVP to attend the event here: press@populardemocracy.org 

To speak with Community Catalyst, please contact: Jack Cardinal, jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org.  

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About Community Catalyst 

Community Catalyst is a national organization dedicated to building the power of people to create a health system rooted in race equity and health justice, and a society where health is a right for all. We’re an experienced, trusted partner to organizations across the country, a change agent to policymakers at the local, state, and national level, and both an adversary and a collaborator to health systems in our efforts to advance health justice. We partner with local, state and national organizations and leaders to leverage and build power so that people are at the center of important decisions about health and health care, whether they are made by health care executives, in state houses, or on Capitol Hill. Together with partners, we’re building a powerful, united movement with a shared vision of and strategy for a health system accountable to all people. Learn more at www.communitycatalyst.org.