Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA, issued a statement following the House Energy and Commerce Committee's decision to advance Medicaid cuts. The committee, dominated by Republicans, voted in favor of a GOP budget reconciliation package that proposes significant reductions in Medicaid funding. This move is expected to impact health care access for approximately 13.7 million Americans.
Wright expressed concern over the timing and manner of the vote, stating, "Just days after they released this disastrous bill, House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee voted to approve $715 billion in cuts to Medicaid — the biggest cut to the program ever." He criticized the overnight debate session as an attempt to bypass public scrutiny.
He further argued that if waste and fraud were genuine concerns, bipartisan discussions could have taken place during regular hours. Instead, he described the bill as a partisan attack intended to finance tax breaks for wealthy individuals and corporations at the expense of essential health services.
Wright highlighted potential consequences of these cuts, including increased costs for millions and reduced funding for hospitals and clinics. He warned that this could lead to closures affecting maternity wards and rural hospitals. He also noted targeted attacks on specific communities would ultimately harm broader health care access.
Despite assurances from some committee Republicans that Medicaid would remain untouched, Wright called these promises empty. He urged other Republicans in Congress to reconsider their stance on what he termed "draconian cuts" and emphasized returning focus to affordability measures favored by voters.
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