Several local members of Congress hosted events across the Bay Area Tuesday, raising concerns about Republican budget proposals that could gut funding for programs like Medicaid. Sergio Quintana reports.
Several local members of Congress hosted events across the Bay Area Tuesday, raising concerns about Republican budget proposals that could gut funding for programs like Medicaid. It comes as some Democrats are getting sharp criticism from within their own party for supporting a republican stopgap measure last week.
During an event at UCSF Children's Hospital In San Francisco, Sasha Bitner, a city disability and aging commissioner, pleaded with republican leaders throughout the country about their budget proposal. She addressed the group about her healthcare needs with the help of her sister-in-law Lowrie Hilladakis.
"If there had been a cap to Medicaid, my family would have gone bankrupt. Or I would have just died,” she said.
At a similar event in San Jose, resident Hwang Trung introduced the group there to his 11-month-old daughter Joanne.
"I am thankful for Medical because without it, I don't know how my family can afford and sustain healthcare services,” she said.
This series of events across the country aims to let voters know about the kinds of cuts being proposed by republican leaders in Washington.
Though each event is hosted by Democratic members of Congress and residents in their districts, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Senator Adam Schiff said the hope is for people here to get the word out to those who live in republican districts and states.
"You're wonderful, but it isn't helpful for you to call a Republican member. You have to have somebody in that person's district to call a Republican member,” Pelosi said.
"Our state doesn't have the resources to compensate for the loss of this money, their states certainly don't,” Schiff said.
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These Democratic lawmakers say that their Republican colleagues plan to cut 880 billion dollars from Medicaid, known as Medical here in California. That is a big number. That's the largest amount republican lawmakers are telling committee members to cut from their budgets.
The Republican goal is to cut more than $1.5 trillion in spending. $880billion also just happens to be the amount the U.S. Congress budgeted for Medicaid in 2023.
Representative Mike Thompson of Santa Rosa sits on the energy and commerce committee.
"So, are we talking about zeroing out Medicaid?" "Absolutely. Zeroing it out, or devastating it. Either way, it's catastrophic,” he said.
But according to figures from bipartisan policy.org, even with the proposed massive cuts, the Republican plan doesn't balance the budget. It actually increases spending on defense, homeland security and other Republican priorities - that would require Congress to raise the country's debit limit by $4 trillion.
