On 60th Anniversary of Medicare & Medicaid, Blumenthal Slams Republicans for Ripping Health Care Away from Americans

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) took to the Senate Floor to speak out against Republicans’ attacks on Americans’ health care, including deep and cruel cuts to Medicaid in their recent budget bill. On the 60^th anniversary of the Social Security Amendments becoming law, which established Medicare and Medicaid, Blumenthal underscored how Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid and efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act will be devastating for Americans’ health.

“I’m here, I wish I could say, to celebrate these vital programs, but, really, I’m here to defend them—to defend themselves against deep and damaging cuts made by Senate Republicans and the Trump Administration. Their budget decimates Medicaid benefits, it threatens rural and pediatric hospitals, it increases health insurance premiums for the majority of Americans. Let me repeat. It increases premiums paid by everyday Americans, the majority of our fellow citizens,” Blumenthal said on the Floor.

“These cuts are not about eliminating fraud or waste in the federal government. They’re about delivering tax breaks to billionaires on the backs of working Americans. This bill is an absolute disgrace. The American people should hold every member who voted for it accountable when they are next up for election,” Blumenthal continued.

Blumenthal pointed out how Republicans’ Medicaid cuts will impact children and seniors in Connecticut, “It’s the biggest Medicaid cut in our history, over 900,000 people in Connecticut rely on Medicaid for their health insurance coverage—30% of them are children. In fact, in Connecticut, Medicaid covers 41% of births and 68% of people living in nursing homes. The majority of people in nursing homes, in other words, depend on Medicaid, and they could well be thrown out of those nursing homes.”

Blumenthal continued, “Just to be clear, these cuts are going to have an impact on everyone, because the Medicaid program is a huge source of funding for all hospitals. All hospitals depend on Medicaid, even if you’re not there with Medicaid coverage. The quality of care that you’ll receive will suffer as a result of these cuts.”

Blumenthal emphasized how Republicans’ health care cuts will raise costs and hurt access for Americans across the country, “So, even if you have private health insurance, your nearest hospital could close. You may have to wait longer for an appointment to see a doctor. Your out-of-pocket costs may increase. Hospitals will attempt to recoup that lost funding on your back. They have no choice. They have to stay open, and they have to cover their costs.”

“I’m going to keep fighting against any legislative efforts that put the interests and desires of billionaires over the needs of working- and middle-class Americans. This big, blatant betrayal is, in fact, simply cruel and stupid. And I hope Republicans will join us in these efforts to truly walk back and compensate for the disastrous impact, the devastating effect it will have on families and working people all across this great country,” Blumenthal concluded.

Under Republicans’ budget bill, 211,000 people in Connecticut will lose their health care coverage, including up to 158,000 individuals on Medicaid and 53,000 with Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.

A video of Blumenthal’s full remarks on the floor can be found here. A transcript of his remarks can be found below.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Today, Mr. President, marks the 60th anniversary of the day that President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, establishing Medicare and Medicaid—cornerstones of American health care. These programs provide millions, including 1.5 million people in Connecticut with access to comprehensive and affordable health care. Nothing is more important than our health. As the saying goes, if you don’t have health, you don’t have anything. And if you don’t have health care coverage, which for most Americans guarantees treatment, diagnosis, effective health care, you don’t have your health.

I’m here, I wish I could say, to celebrate these vital programs, but, really, I’m here to defend them—to defend themselves against deep and damaging cuts made by Senate Republicans and the Trump Administration. Their budget decimates Medicaid benefits, it threatens rural and pediatric hospitals, it increases health insurance premiums for the majority of Americans. Let me repeat. It increases premiums paid by everyday Americans, the majority of our fellow citizens.

Health insurers are already proposing a median premium increase of 15% in 2026. That’s the largest in five years, and that is just an estimate. You know if you have had any experience with health insurers, that if they’re estimating 15%, it could well, in fact likely, be higher. These cuts are not about eliminating fraud or waste in the federal government. They’re about delivering tax breaks to billionaires on the backs of working Americans. This bill is an absolute disgrace. The American people should hold every member who voted for it accountable when they are next up for election.

It’s the biggest Medicaid cut in our history, over 900,000 people in Connecticut rely on Medicaid for their health insurance coverage—30% of them are children. In fact, in Connecticut, Medicaid covers 41% of births and 68% of people living in nursing homes. The majority of people in nursing homes, in other words, depend on Medicaid, and they could well be thrown out of those nursing homes. Under this bill, up to 158,000 people in Connecticut will lose Medicaid, and 53,000 will lose their ACA coverage. Even those who keep their health coverage will see reduced benefits and strained providers as the state struggles to make up the difference. People in Connecticut are lucky, because there will be an effort to make up the difference, but many of the states won’t have that ability.

Just to be clear, these cuts are going to have an impact on everyone, because the Medicaid program is a huge source of funding for all hospitals. All hospitals depend on Medicaid, even if you’re not there with Medicaid coverage. The quality of care that you’ll receive will suffer as a result of these cuts.

So, even if you have private health insurance, your nearest hospital could close. You may have to wait longer for an appointment to see a doctor. Your out-of-pocket costs may increase. Hospitals will attempt to recoup that lost funding on your back. They have no choice. They have to stay open, and they have to cover their costs. To make matters worse, my Republican colleagues refuse to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits. 112,000 people in Connecticut rely on these credits to lower their monthly premiums. They are a life saver. They’re a lifeline to help insurance coverage, and without the extension, 10,000 children are at risk of losing essential services, and 81 small business owners in the state will see their premiums skyrocket. Premiums will rise for small businesses as well as individuals.

These numbers are staggering. They are stunning. But they fail to capture the human costs, the impact on everyday people who look out the window in the morning as they have their first cup of coffee or see their children at night for dinner as they come home, and wonder what will happen in the event of a health care emergency? Not even an emergency—what will happen in the event of flu, COVID, any of the other kinds of health care challenges that may arise?

So, the net result here, in human terms, is couples forgoing children, grandparents losing independence, people seeing preventable deaths, skipped check-ups, burned-out health care workers. That’s the real cost, the human cost. The impact on people’s state of mind, their level of anxiety, their ability to focus on work because of physical pain they may have because of illness, but also anxiety about how that illness is going to be covered by health insurance. These cuts aren’t just numbers. They are children. They’re families. They’re grandparents, people with disabilities, your neighbors, your friends, and probably you at some point.

Republicans knew the consequences. There was no mystery here. They knew the data. They chose cruelty. These cuts are cruel, and they are stupid, they are dumb, because we all know that preventing health emergencies, providing diagnoses and catching illnesses early, providing care and treatment early, in the long run saves money, for all of us. It is unforgiveable that they decided to turn their backs on millions of Americans, including their own constituents whose health and well-being is on the line.

Since this bill passed, of course, some Republicans are trying to walk back their votes. Buyer’s remorse. They had mixed feelings at the time, perhaps. They’re supporting tweaks like repealing the Medicaid provider taxes or boosting rural hospital funds because they see that those rural hospitals in their own states are going to be closing. They know the impact of Medicaid cuts on hospitals in all areas and people in every part of their states. But those efforts are doomed to failure. They fall short. The Rural Health Care Fund doesn’t come close to offsetting the losses rural providers will face from the cuts of Medicaid, just to give you one example, and that’s why I’ve joined Senator Wyden and Senator Schumer in introducing a bill that will repeal the health provisions in the big, blatant betrayal. It’s not a big, beautiful bill. It’s a big, blatant betrayal. This measure would extend the ACA premium tax credits. Again, Medicaid cuts are reprehensible and reckless. Cutting the ACA premium tax credits affects hundreds of thousands of others in Connecticut and millions around the country, every day, middle-class working Americans who have to cover health care bills.

I’m going to keep fighting against any legislative efforts that put the interests and desires of billionaires over the needs of working- and middle-class Americans. This big, blatant betrayal is, in fact, simply cruel and stupid. And I hope Republicans will join us in these efforts to truly walk back and compensate for the disastrous impact, the devastating effect it will have on families and working people all across this great country.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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