Rep. McBride Condemns Republican’s Deadly Plans to Cut Medicaid on House Floor: “People Will Die”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-DE) delivered a speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives opposing the Republican-led proposal to make historic cuts to Medicaid— the single largest evisceration of health care in American history.

In her remarks, McBride drew from the stories of Delawareans who rely on Medicaid, and warned of the deadly consequences for children, seniors, caregivers, and people with disabilities.

“I rise today as a representative of the nearly one in four Delawareans who rely on Medicaid — families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities whose lives now hang in the balance,” McBride said.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, this budget proposal would strip health insurance from nearly 14 million people. 

“That’s not belt-tightening,” said McBride. “That’s life-threatening.”

McBride highlighted the story of Caroline, a young woman from Newark with a rare condition who told her, “Without Medicaid, I could die.” She also cited messages from hospital leaders, nurses, and community clinics across Delaware who have warned of irreparable harm to patients and an already-overburdened health care system. 

“If these cuts advance, people will die,” McBride said. “I didn’t come to Congress to rubber-stamp cruelty. I came to fight for the people I represent—for aging parents in Sussex County, for caregivers in Kent, for kids in Wilmington.”

McBride detailed how the Republican budget would:

• Raise costs for working families — through new out-of-pocket expenses, higher premiums, and loss in coverage.
• Creates excessive red tape for patients, providers, and state government — barriers designed to trip people up and push them out.
• And it adds 3.7 trillion dollars to the deficit — not to expand care or invest in working people, but to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

“They are importing the worst parts of the private insurance industry into a life-saving program,” McBride said. “And when you make working people pay more for basic health care—that is a tax.”

McBride closed by reading a message from a Delaware single mother and health care worker who relies on Medicaid:

“Without Medicaid, neither of us would have insurance. My employer doesn’t offer health coverage and I can’t afford the five hundred dollar a month private plan with high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. If we lose Medicaid, we lose everything.”

“P.S. I am a healthcare worker with a Bachelor’s degree. This isn’t about being too lazy to work.”

“We owe her—and millions of others—better than this,” McBride said. “I urge my colleagues to reject this cruel and catastrophic proposal.”

The full speech is available for use here. The transcript of the speech is below.

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

“I rise today as a representative of the nearly one in four Delawareans who rely on Medicaid — families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities whose lives now hang in the balance.

“Republicans in Congress have proposed not only the largest cut to Medicaid in American history — but the single largest evisceration of health care in American history, period. 

“According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, this slash and burn proposal would strip health insurance from nearly 14 million people. That’s not belt-tightening. That’s life-threatening.

“Since the majority in Congress began advancing this plan, I’ve heard from hundreds of Delawareans who can’t sleep — gripped by the fear of losing the care that keeps them, or their kids, alive.

“Caroline, a young woman from Newark, has a rare condition that requires extensive medical intervention. Without Medicaid, she told me that she could die.

“Caroline, tragically, is not alone. If these cuts advance, people will die.

“I’ve heard from doctors, nurses, hospital leaders and community health clinics across our state. They all agree: Republican cuts to Medicaid will do irreparable harm — eliminating a lifeline for their patients and putting further strain on our hospital systems that are already facing a workforce crisis.

“But let’s talk about what’s actually in the Republican proposal. 

“The majority party wants to impose needless and excessive paperwork requirements that serve no purpose but to push people off the rolls. They are importing the worst parts of the private health insurance industry, needless bureaucratic barriers and excessive paperwork, into a life-saving program to make it harder to qualify for care. All to pad the pockets of the ultra-wealthy.

“And if that weren’t enough, the bill also includes what can only be described as a back door abortion ban — prohibiting Medicaid funding from going to family planning clinics that provide abortion services, even if that funding isn’t used for abortion care. This means shuttering access to trusted providers and family planning clinics—especially in rural areas where options are already scarce.

“They’re doing all of this while forcing working families to pay more out of pocket. When you make working people pay more for basic health care — that is a tax. Republicans in Congress want to tax the health care of working people all to just partially pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest.

“This administration and Republicans promised Americans three things last year: lower costs, cutting red tape, and bringing down the deficit. 

“But let’s review what their budget will do: 

“It raises costs for working families across the country — through new out-of-pocket expenses, higher premiums, and loss in coverage.

“It creates new bureaucratic red tape for patients, providers, and state government — barriers designed to trip people up and push them out.

“And it adds 3.7 trillion dollars to the deficit — not to expand care or invest in working people, but to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

“I didn’t come to Congress to rubber-stamp cruelty. I came to fight for the people I represent—for aging parents in Sussex County, for caregivers in Kent, for kids in Wilmington.

“Let me end with the words of another Delawarean, a single mom:

“Without Medicaid, neither of us would have insurance. My employer doesn’t offer health coverage and I can’t afford the five hundred dollar a month private plan with high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. If we lose Medicaid, we lose everything.”

“She added this: “P.S. I am a healthcare worker with a Bachelor’s degree. This isn’t about being too lazy to work.”

“We owe her — and millions of others — better than this.

“I urge my colleagues to reject this cruel and catastrophic proposal.

“Thank you. I yield back my time.”

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Delaware’s Congresswoman Sarah McBride serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and its Subcommittees on Europe and on Oversight & Intelligence, she also serves on the House Space, Science and Technology Committee and its subcommittee on Research and Technology. She serves as a Deputy Whip for Policy in the Democratic Caucus.