Everyone warned the GOP that the MAGA Murder Budget – excuse me, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – was going to be devastating to Americans struggling to afford health care. 15 months later, it’s clear those warnings should have been heeded. Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program enrollment have fallen by five million already, and with the paperwork requirements coming into force in January, we anticipate that between 5 and 10 million people will be cut off Medicaid in 2027. 450 hospitals are at risk of closing or cutting services, as are more than 550 nursing homes. The coverage losses could cause more than 42,000 Americans to lose their lives every year. (Meanwhile, the wealthiest 1% are getting a trillion dollar tax cut.)
Every Republican who made this possible should be held accountable. But the responsibility falls most heavily on those in the GOP who openly acknowledged the dangers of Medicaid cuts, sought to score political points by promising to oppose them, and then provided necessary votes to make them happen anyway.
Last April, as Trump and congressional leaders fought to put together this legislation, a dozen so-called “moderate” Republicans publicly warned they would not vote for a budget reconciliation bill that cut Medicaid too deeply – or as they put it, “any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.” They expressed their strong support for the program, highlighted the risk to hospitals and nursing homes, and solemnly pledged to protect “those who depend on these benefits from health and economic security.”
They got themselves some nice headlines and burnished their all-important sensible centrist credentials. Then just a few weeks later, they meekly folded. Leadership ultimately included more than $900 billion in Medicaid cuts, and every one of them quietly fell in line and voted yay.
The final bill passed the House on a 218-214 vote. Two of these 12 joining the nays would have stopped it. And any single one of them voting no would have blocked initial passage of the murder budget through the House in May. They had all the power in the world to keep their promise and protect Americans on Medicaid, and they sold us out.
Millions of us are going to pay the price. We’ve got to make sure there’s a cost for them, too.
Two of them are out of reach: Don Bacon is retiring rather than face the people of Omaha again, and redistricting put Young Kim in the same district as fellow Republican Ken Calvert, who didn’t even bother pretending he would stand with us. We have a chance to unseat the other ten members of the Medicaid Betrayers Caucus Tuesday, and most of them are in serious trouble. Let’s join the fight and help take them down. We can find volunteer opportunities below, and images we can share on social media here.
🎯 ROB BRESNAHAN (PA-08) is facing Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti. We can phonebank for the mayor Wednesday, 5:30-7PM ET; Thursday, 6-8PM ET; Saturday, 10-11:30AM ET and 2-4PM ET and Sunday, 12-3PM ET.
🎯 JUAN CISCOMANI (AZ-06) is facing Marine veteran and non-profit leader JoAnna Mendoza. We can phonebank for JoAnna tonight, 7-19M ET; Wednesdays, 7-10PM ET; Thursdays, 7-9PM ET; Saturday, 3-5PM and 7-9PM and Sunday, 1-9PM ET.
🎯 ANDREW GARBARINO (NY-02) is facing former Suffolk County executive Pat Halpin. We can phonebank for Pat Tuesday through Sunday, 5-7:30PM ET.
🎯 JEFF HURD (CO-03) is facing Bronze Star winning Army veteran, business owner and former city councilor and director of state economic development Dwayne Romero. We can phonebank for Dwayne Tuesdays, 7:30-10PM ET; Wednesdays, 7:30-10PM ET; Thursdays, 7:30-10PM ET and Saturdays, 5-7:30PM ET.
🎯 JEN KIGGANS (VA-02) is facing former congresswoman Elaine Luria. We can phonebank for Rep. Luria tonight through Sunday, 6-8PM ET.
🎯 NICK LALOTA (NY-01) is facing Army National Guard veteran, air traffic controller and union leader Chris Gallant. We can phonebank for Chris tonight and Thursday 6-8PM ET and make calls in Spanish Wednesday, 6-8PM ET.
🎯 NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (NY-11) is facing NYPD officer, attorney and legislative staffer Mike DeCillis. We can phonebank for Mike tonight and Thursdays, 6-8PM ET.
🎯 DAVID VALADAO (CA-22) is facing educator and Working Families Party progressive Randy Villegas. We can phonebank for Randy Wednesday, 6-8PM ET; Thursday, 8:30-10:30PM ET; Friday, 9-11PM ET; Saturday, 6-8PM ET; Sunday, 3-5PM ET and 6-8PM ET and in Spanish on Wednesdays, 8:30-10:30PM ET.
🎯 JEFF VAN DREW (NJ-02) is facing Cape May mayor Zack Mullock. We can phonebank for the Mayor tonight, 5-7PM ET and 6-8PM ET; Wednesday, 5-7PM ET and 6-8PM ET; Thursday, 5-7PM ET and 6-8PM ET; Fridays, 5-7PM ET; Saturday, 12-3PM ET and Sundays, 12-3PM ET.
🎯 ROB WITTMAN (VA-01) is facing Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor. We can phonebank for Shannon Wednesday-Friday, 5:30-7:30PM ET and Saturday and Sunday, 10AM-6PM ET