Senate Republicans’ proposed budget would slash Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act funding, rip away health care and raise costs for millions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) hosted a press conference on Capitol Hill to slam President Trump and Republicans’ cruel and chaotic budget which would raise health care costs for millions of Americans and slash Medicaid in order to give tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy. The Senators highlighted how drastic cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) included in Republicans’ budget blueprint would kick tens of millions of people off of their health coverage, decimate state budgets, cut payments to health care providers, and increase costs for the more than 100 million people across the country who rely on these programs.  

“When I talk to Vermonters, their heads are spinning. There’s no stable ground underneath them, and they wonder what he’s up to…the number one agenda item for Trump is cutting taxes for billionaires, the families be damned,” said Senator Welch. “We are here to say no. We are going to fight every way that we can to stop this travesty from occurring.” 

Watch a livestream and view photos from the press conference below: 

Read Senator Welch’s remarks as delivered here. 

Sens. Welch and Baldwin were joined by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 

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