Press Release
Posted:
Napa – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04), and Gabriel Rogin, Executive Director of North Bay Regional Center, hosted a roundtable at North Bay Regional Center in Napa and warned that Congressional Republicans’ plan to cut $880 billion from the budget that funds Medicaid in order to fund tax giveaways for those who don’t need it will devastate local access to care for everyone. Rep. Thompson and Gabriel Rogin were joined by volunteers, clients, leadership, and staff of North Bay Regional Center in Napa and by other local non-profit organizations serving people with disabilities.
“Congressional Republicans have mandated an $880 billion budget cut, something that can’t be done without destroying Medicaid. And the destruction of Medicaid will hurt everyone,” said Thompson. “One-third of health care in California comes from Medicaid. Without this funding, needy children, people living with disabilities and those on long term care will lose access to care. And hospitals and health centers in our community will be forced to slash services or shut down altogether. That means everyone loses access to care. All of this is for one purpose: to facilitate a tax giveaway for people who don’t need it.”
"We very much appreciate Congressman Thompson’s leadership on this important issue and his continued advocacy on behalf of people with developmental disabilities and their families," said Rogin. "Medicaid funding supports healthcare, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), essential regional center programs, and the direct support professionals who help people with disabilities live independently and access their communities. We urge Congress to reject any cuts to Medicaid or other vital services that support the disability community."
BACKGROUND
This month, Congressional Republicans passed a partisan budget bill that instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid, to cut its spending by $880 billion. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has since analyzed the budget and confirmed that the Committee cannot meet Congressional Republicans’ mandated level of spending cuts without deep cuts to Medicaid. Millions of people would lose coverage entirely, and those who remain covered would see reduced benefits and fewer available providers. In Napa County, 36,800 people (26.8 percent) are covered by Medi-Cal and over 234,000 people in the California’s Fourth Congressional District are covered.
The Congressional Republicans’ budget threatens coverage for our nation’s children, jeopardizes access to long-term care for millions of seniors and people with disabilities, and devastates our nation’s response to the opioid crisis.
Congressional Republicans’ proposed cuts to health care and nutrition programs in their budget bill add up to nearly the exact amount of savings the party needs in order to implement their tax bill delivering massive tax giveaways for corporations and those making over $743,000 per year.