Melanie Stansbury: “In New Mexico, we care for our elders. It is a part of our culture. It is a part of who we are because our elders are…”

“In New Mexico, we care for our elders. It is a part of our culture. It is a part of who we are because our elders are the people who birthed us, who raised us, who cared for us. They are our grandparents and our parents, our aunties and our uncles, our veterans, the people who carry our histories, our cultures, our languages, and our traditions. That is why it is so outrageous to me as a New Mexican that the House GOP would even consider, no less propose, to gut the critical programs that support our elders--Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In New Mexico, thousands of New Mexicans depend on Social Security-- our seniors, our elders, people living with disabilities. Over 450,000 New Mexicans depend on Medicare. That is over 20 percent of our State's population. New Mexicans depend on these programs to access lifesaving healthcare, to provide for their families, to put a roof over their head, to put food on the table. Before Social Security, our elders were left with nothing. Before Medicaid and Medicare, our seniors and our low-income families could not access lifesaving healthcare. {time} 1930 In New Mexico, over 12 percent of our seniors are considered low- income and living below the poverty line. Thousands are struggling to maintain housing, to have basic services, to have a roof over their head, and to put food on their table. Let me be clear: these programs save lives, and they have secured our elders for generations.…”