Madeleine Dean: “The Federal Government runs out of money in 2 weeks. Republicans, who lead both Chambers and the White House, have yet…”

“The Federal Government runs out of money in 2 weeks. Republicans, who lead both Chambers and the White House, have yet to produce an actual funding plan. Instead, House Republicans passed a blueprint to slash up to $2.5 trillion from Medicaid. In my State of Pennsylvania alone, that jeopardizes care for nearly 3 million people, including 100,000 people struggling with addiction. In my district, that means risking medical care for more than 45,000 people under the age of 21 and more than 15,000 people over the age of 60. These are children and seniors, vulnerable people who rely upon Medicaid for their health and for their very lives. Negotiations are always part of the process, yet our duty remains to safeguard our children, our seniors, the working poor, people with disabilities, and people struggling with addiction. That is not negotiable. Our budget reflects our values. Protecting life, liberty, and happiness are our values. We must live up to that. ____________________”