Young Invincibles’ Krystal Milam: “There’s no other way to see this legislation that is a blatant attack on students and young people striving for economic opportunity with sweeping cuts to vital programs that millions of young Americans rely on.”
Today, Nevada State Senator Fabian Doñate, Missouri State Representative Ray Reed, Virginia House Delegate Nadarius Clark, 18by Vote Founding Executive Director Jazmin Kay, Washington Youth Alliance Executive Director Chetan Soni, Young Invincibles National Policy and Advocacy Director Krystal Milam, and Protect Our Care Deputy Research Director Joe Miller joined Defend America Action on a press call to outline the disastrous impacts on young Americans that the House-passed Republican budget plan that slashes funding for health care and food assistance in order to pay for tax breaks for corporations and the ultra-wealthy will have.
Speakers on the call urged members of the United States Senate to vote against the bill, and highlighted how the Trump-backed Republican budget will do immeasurable harm to their communities, particularly those who rely on Medicaid and families who depend on basic needs programs like free school lunches.
“I grew up in a family that knows what it means to live paycheck to paycheck, to carefully budget every dollar, and to worry about whether an unexpected doctor’s visit may mean falling behind on rent,” said Nevada State Senator Fabian Doñate. “For families like mine, Medicaid isn’t just a government program, it’s a safety net. It’s a promise that when life knocks you down, you’ll have a path to get back up. These programs were created for working families, for children, for seniors, and for people who have no other options.”
“Not just in my district, but around our state, I’m seeing, I’m hearing from folks who are saying that they’re not hard to reach, but they often feel hardly reached by our government,” said Missouri State Representative Ray Reed. “And seeing those who slash program funding, once again, they’re saying that their government’s working for the wealthy, rather than them, and I just couldn’t be more opposed to that kind of thinking.”
“In Virginia, [the bill] means over 100,000 recipients will lose their health care. We know that young people will feel the impact. These cuts will be felt by everyone, but especially young people,” said Virginia House Delegate Nadarius Clark. “This will also cut money to Pell Grants. It will make it harder for young people to afford and attend college, but also it will cut clean energy programs passed by the Biden administration as well, further exacerbating climate change.”
“We also saw a very direct attack on our LGBTQ youth. We saw the cuts coming to the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline. We also saw a ban on gender affirming care that would have been covered under Medicaid and CHIP […]. This impact directly on young people’s mental health and their ability to get to have health care is dramatic,” said 18by Vote Founding Executive Director Jazmin Kay. “The bottom line is that young people across the board, across the issues that they care about, are directly going to be able to feel the impacts of this proposed bill.”
“So now we’re at a crossroads. Do we defund the programs and help students stay in school, graduate, and thrive, or do we protect Medicaid, ensure school-based health centers continue and keep opportunity alive for every young person, especially those in the most underserved communities,” said Washington Youth Alliance Executive Director Chetan Soni. “Nationally and here in Washington State, the message is clear: don’t cut Medicaid.”
“This proposed bill from Republicans in Congress is failing young adults. There’s no other way to see this legislation that is a blatant attack on students and young people striving for economic opportunity with sweeping cuts to vital programs that millions of young Americans rely on,” said Young Invincibles National Policy and Advocacy Director Krystal Milam. “This bill sacrifices their future so the wealthiest can grow even richer.”
“Young people have the most to lose from Trump’s budget bill, especially when it comes to health care. Medicaid is a lifeline for younger Americans,” said Protect Our Care Deputy Research Director Joe Miller. “The tax scam adds miles of red tape for young working adults and families struggling to afford health care, just to force them off the rolls in order to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.”
BACKGROUND
THE GOP BUDGET SLASHES HEALTH CARE AND FOOD ASSISTANCE TO PAY FOR TAX BREAKS FOR BILLIONAIRES: House Republicans voted for 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.
- 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.
- THE GOP BUDGET WILL SLASH HEALTH CARE ACCESS FOR YOUNG AMERICANS: House Republicans’ budget will kick an estimated 16 million Americans off health care in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires – even though less than 15 percent of voters support cuts to Medicaid.
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- This bill works to remove as many Medicaid recipients as possible under the guise of “work requirements.” In reality, virtually all Medicaid recipients work.
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- Trump’s tax scam eliminates premium tax credits and hiking premiums for the 24 million Americans who buy insurance on their own through ACA Marketplaces, nearly doubling premiums on average for 22 million Americans.
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- Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) disproportionately serve children and young adults:
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- Half of all Medicaid enrollees — 35 million young Americans — are under 26.
- Nearly 40 percent of ACA plan enrollees are under 34.
- Medicaid covers 41 percent of births in the United States, and around half of all births are to women under 30.
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- Children and young adults face the highest poverty rates of any age group.
- 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 7 million American households with children under 18 across the country.
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- 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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