Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concern about the President's budget, and, in particular, the $610 billion in proposed cuts to Medicaid over the next 10 years. In my district on the central coast of California, Medicaid provides healthcare to over 280,000 people. These are people that need it the most, including low-income families, children, disabled, and pregnant women. Clinics and hospitals, particularly in rural communities like my district, rely on Medicaid to provide patients with mandatory and preventative services. Employees from the number one industry in my area--agriculture--rely on those health clinics so that they can stay healthy and ultimately contribute to our economy and our culture. If Medicaid is cut, as desired in the President's budget, it will hurt not just my community, it will hurt our country. Throughout our Nation, millions would lose healthcare, healthcare clinics would close, and many insurance companies who partner with Medicaid would see cuts in their reimbursement rates substantially. I realize that many of us in Washington have not been on Medicaid, but many of us need to realize that Medicaid benefits many of the Americans that sent us here. The least we can do is support them and their families by fighting against the President's budget and fighting to keep funding for Medicaid. ____________________”