Maxine Dexter: “House Republicans' all-out attack on Medicaid is morally indefensible. In my district alone, over 255,000 Oregonians…”

“House Republicans' all-out attack on Medicaid is morally indefensible. In my district alone, over 255,000 Oregonians, including 59 percent of our children, rely on Medicaid for lifesaving care. These aren't just numbers. They are the cancer patients fighting for their lives, children with disabilities getting essential support, and seniors reliant on long-term care. Republicans want to slash hundreds of billions of dollars from the Medicaid committee, gutting healthcare for the most vulnerable, while billionaires and corporations get another payday. As a critical care physician, I know what this means. Without Medicaid, patients go without preventive care. They get sicker. They defer lifesaving medications. Too often, they don't survive. Medicaid is not a handout. It is a lifeline. Cutting it to fund tax breaks for the ultrawealthy is unconscionable because healthcare is a human right. It is not a bargaining chip. Oregon won't stand for these cuts, and neither will I. ____________________”