WASHINGTON, D.C. — Leslie Frane, Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), issued the following statement after the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced legislation that would slash billions from Medicaid and threaten healthcare access for millions of Americans:

“Congressional Republicans voted to pull the rug out from under working people by gutting Medicaid—ripping away healthcare from millions so they can hand out tax breaks to billionaires.

Medicaid is a lifeline for nearly 80 million Americans. It is unconscionable that Republican leaders chose to put lives at risk and raise healthcare costs for families just to make the rich richer. SEIU members provide essential care to people in their homes, nursing homes and hospitals across the country. These cuts would mean fewer services for aging Americans, more kids going without essential care, the closure of rural and safety net hospitals, and families forced to choose between medical bills and groceries.

Let’s be clear: this is a direct attack on our communities and the only people who benefit are the mega-wealthy. The plan would hit low-income families the hardest, create costly red tape that does nothing but take away people’s healthcare, and punish states that dare to offer care to immigrants. It’s cruel, senseless, and it won’t save money—it will cost lives.“

As the largest union for healthcare workers in North America, SEIU members are sounding the alarm, calling a Code Blue on Medicaid. They showed up in force at the mark up to call out the greed and disregard for everyday people at the heart of this budget. Last week SEIU members rallied for 24 hours in opposition to Medicaid cuts. Additionally, SEIU has also been producing social media videos exposing right wing lies about the program.

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