SEATTLE (Diya TV) — Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal spoke to a packed house in Northwest Seattle this week, speaking to constituents alarmed by planned federal funding reductions, specifically those on Medicaid.
Several hundred came to voice concerns about possible cuts to vital programs, such as Medicaid and Social Security, detailed in the Trump administration’s budget plan. Jayapal recognized the fears of the community by saying, “People are scared. They see Republicans in Washington, D.C., working to strip away their healthcare and security, and they want to know how they can fight back.
The suggested reductions have caused widespread alarm. For example, in Illinois, Representative Nikki Budzinski pointed out that the administration proposal contains an $880 billion cut to Medicaid, which could lead to putting people into nursing homes and adding $4 trillion to federal deficits.
In Texas, professionals warn that the state might be disproportionately hurt because of its already elevated uninsured rate and refusal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Suggested federal reductions could result in substantial financial losses for hospitals and health clinics, which could lead to closures and curtailed services, particularly in rural Texas.
Jayapal’s Seattle town hall also touched on the effect of budget cuts on medical research. She sat down with healthcare providers who were worried that decreased funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would slow down vital breakthroughs in cancer treatment. “The work being done here saves lives,” Jayapal stressed.
The Congresswoman also engaged with health centers in communities, where leaders spoke about compounded uncertainty among patients as a result of both the potential loss of medical coverage as well as what they perceived about the effects of existing immigration policy.
Jayapal also met with immigrant rights and labor advocacy groups, where she highlighted the need to protect vulnerable populations against policies she defined as divisive and detrimental.
