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WATCH: Former Medicaid Director Daniel Tsai, Protect Our Care’s Toby McGrath Discuss House-Passed GOP Budget Cuts to Health Care and Food Assistance and Sen. Collins’ Crucial Vote

By June 5, 2025No Comments

Today, Former Director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Daniel Tsai and Protect Our Care Maine’s Toby McGrath joined Defend America Action on a press call to outline the disastrous consequences of the House-passed Republican budget plan that slashes funding for health care and food assistance in order to pay for massive tax breaks for corporations and the ultra-wealthy.

Speakers on the call highlighted how the Trump-backed Republican budget, which passed the House two weeks ago, will do immeasurable harm to vulnerable populations, particularly those who rely on Medicaid and families who depend on basic needs programs like free school lunches.

“I want to be extremely clear: this bill, it cuts Medicaid, but even more, it is effectively, when you look at all the provisions, it is a backdoor repeal of the Affordable Care Act,” said Former Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Director Daniel Tsai. “It will hurt the most vulnerable people, and that includes seniors, individuals with disabilities, kids, working parents, others losing their health care coverage. That is clear in the recent findings from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. To say otherwise is not just misleading, but it’s factually wrong.”

“FQHC just announced that they are closing this past week in Bridgton, in rural Maine. We’ve got maternity wards in northern Maine that are shutting down, making people have to go for miles and miles, and this is even before this tax package occurs,” said Protect Our Care Maine’s Toby McGrath. “This will be extremely detrimental, not just to providing healthcare for Mainers, but also our rural jobs, our hospitals, and FQHCs, our economic drivers in our rural Maine areas.”

Though he had a last minute conflict and was unable to join this morning’s call, Maine Speaker Ryan D. Fecteau issued the following statement: “Cutting Medicaid and programs like SNAP would harm Maine people. From our older neighbors living in nursing homes, to those depending on access to hospitals across the state, to half of all Maine children, Trump’s budget would have a dramatic impact. And let me be clear: Mainers won’t be fooled by gimmicks that ask the states to pay more while trying to make it look like Washington isn’t cutting anything. I urge Senator Collins to reject this draconian proposal.”

BACKGROUND

THE GOP BUDGET SLASHES HEALTH CARE AND FOOD ASSISTANCE TO PAY FOR TAX BREAKS FOR BILLIONAIRES: Republicans are moving forward with an unpopular, unaffordable tax break for the wealthiest people in the country, and they’re paying for it by raising costs, taking away health care, and slashing school lunches for working families in Maine. 

  • COSTS GOING UP WHILE BILLIONAIRE TAXES GO DOWN: House Democrats released a nonpartisan CBO analysis confirming Republicans’ plan will raise health care costs for working families and take away Medicaid from millions of people, all to pay for a massive tax break for the ultra-wealthy.
  • BUDGET WILL SLASH HEALTH CARE ACCESS: House Republicans’ budget will kick an estimated 42,000 Mainers off Medicaid in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires – even though 92 percent of Maine voters oppose cuts to Medicaid. This will create at least a $3 billion hole over 10 years in the Maine state budget and cause premium costs and out-of-pocket costs to rise for over 50,000 Mainers.
    • This bill works to remove as many Medicaid recipients as possible under the guise of “work requirements.” In reality, virtually all Medicaid recipients work, are caregivers, are elderly or have disabilities.
    • Medicaid disproportionately serves children, older people, and people with disabilities, and in Maine, this includes:
  • FOOD ASSISTANCE SLASHED: House Republicans’ budget cuts free and reduced-cost school meals, Meals on Wheels and the nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children. They’re putting food assistance at risk for over 77,000 Maine households across the state.
    • This bill amounts to the largest cuts to food assistance in history. Republicans’ bill will also enact new unnecessary burdens for older Americans and families with children applying for basic needs programs, while freezing future benefit increases that help households adjust to rising food costs.

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