{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/delawares-federal-delegation-stands-united-save-medicaid", "Delaware\u2019s Federal Delegation Stands United to Save Medicaid", "2025-03-17", "2025", "2025-03", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Sarah McBride", "M001238", "mcbride.house.gov", "mcbride", "https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Coons, Blunt Rochester, McBride, patients, providers, and hospital administrators Denounce Cuts to Vital Health Care Program\n\nWilmington, DE \u2014 Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Delaware Congresswoman Sarah McBride (all D-Del.), brought together patients, providers, advocates, federally qualified health clinics and hospital leaders to denounce the Congressional Majority conference\u2019s plan to cut Medicaid funding by $880 billion. The cuts would slash health care coverage for our most vulnerable Delawareans, including kids, working families, and people with disabilities. Photo and video assets from event linked.\n\n\u201cDelawareans all over our state depend on Medicaid at every stage of life\u2014from newborns who are delivered thanks to funding from Medicaid, to adults receiving mental health treatment through Medicaid, to seniors living their twilight years in dignity at assisted living facilities funded by Medicaid,\u201d said Senator Coons. \u201cThere is nothing more unkind, unthinking, even immoral than to advocate for slashing Medicaid funding to pay for another tax cut for billionaires, yet that is exactly what Republicans are calling for in Congress right now.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhether you are a child, a person with disabilities, a mother-to-be, or have complex medical conditions - Medicaid impacts all of us,\u201d said Senator Blunt Rochester. \u201cIf Republicans get their way, 1 in 4 Delawareans would have their health care taken away from them. Taking away lifesaving care in order to pay for tax breaks for the ultra wealthy is not just bad policy, it\u2019s cruel. I was glad to stand alongside families and providers today to shine a light on this important program. I will continue to work with the Delaware federal delegation to fight back against Republican efforts to take away Medicaid.\u201d\n\n\u201cNearly 1 in 4 Delawareans relies on Medicaid for their health care coverage, including nearly 1 in 2 children. It is unconscionable that the majority party in Congress would rip away coverage from neighbors across our state in order to hand over enormous tax breaks to billionaires,\u201d said Congresswoman McBride. \u201cI stand in solidarity with patients, providers, our hospital systems, and our federally qualified health centers \u2013 all who would be impacted if these cuts go into effect \u2013 and will continue to oppose any actions that prioritize the wealthiest Americans over everyday Americans.\u201d\n\nThe federal delegation was joined by dozens of Delaware Medicaid recipients who received life-saving and life-affirming care through the program\u2019s coverage. Several told their own stories. Parts of their stories are included below, full video can be accessed here.\n\nCaroline King, a young advocate, shared, \u201cI\u2019m from Newark, Delaware. I\u2019m glad to be here today and would like to thank Representative McBride for inviting me to join to share a bit of my story.\n\n\u201cWithout Medicaid, I could die. Due to multiple rare complex medical conditions, I receive a life-sustaining form of IV nutrition called total parental nutrition, or TPS, through a central line that sits near my heart.\n\n\u201cOut of pocket, my TPN costs over $19,000 a month. Even with insurance, this would remain in the thousands\u2026 If it were not for Medicaid, I would not have been able to receive this life-saving, and now life is staying treatment\u2026 Prior to being approved for Medicaid, I frequently neglected my healthcare needs. I could not afford every appointment I was supposed to have. Now that I have coverage for Medicaid, I\u2019m able to have assurance that I will not lose everything in order to take care of my health.\u201d\n\nNancy Lemus, New Castle, mother to Christopher, shared her family\u2019s story, \u201cMy name is Nancy Lemus, and this is my son Christopher Garcia. I am here today as a mother, an advocate, and someone who understands firsthand what Medicaid truly means for families like mine.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy son Christopher is a vibrant young man. He loves music, especially the drums. He loves traveling. He loves being surrounded by his family and friends, but Christopher is also an individual with disabilities and medical complexities, and because of that, he relies on home-based community services and private-duty nursing to survive. Thanks to Medicaid, Christopher can live at home, where he belongs, surrounded by the people who love him most.\n\n\u201cHis room is not just a bedroom, it's a lifeline. It holds the advanced medical equipment he needs, a tray, ventilator, feeding tube, and life-sustaining care. All of his equipment is also portable, so Christopher is able to be here today.\n\n\u201cMedicaid is not just a program. It's the reason my son can wake up in his own bed instead of a hospital room. It's the reason I can be his mother instead of just a caregiver fighting for his survival. It's the reason Christopher can have a life filled with joy, music, and love\u2026 Christopher's care would be impossible to afford and families like ours would be left with no options.\u201d\n\n\u201cI'm a proud small business owner living in Newark, Delaware,\u201d said Davida Benson. \u201cI have spent my life working hard to provide for my family and build something meaningful. But like so many others, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. My business slowed down dramatically, and despite my best efforts, earning the same income I once did has been a challenge.\n\n\u201cAt the same time, I have taken on another full-time role as caregiver to my 80-year-old mother who was diagnosed with vascular dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Caring for an aging parent is an act of love, but it's also a tremendous responsibility, one that comes with emotional, physical, and financial burdens. Medicaid has helped lighten that burden, allowing me to focus on my mother's well-being without constant fear of medical costs piling up.\n\n\u201cBut Medicaid doesn't just help my mother, it helps me too. Like many working Americans, I have chronic conditions including diabetes, asthma, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and anxiety. Medicaid ensures that I have access to medications, specialists, and monitoring.\n\n\u201cMedicaid also has been critical for my son as a single mother, I know firsthand how hard it can be to ensure your child has the care they need, especially when financial struggles arise\u2026 Without Medicaid, I don't know how I would afford his healthcare. He has asthma and without access to doctors and medication, a simple asthma attack could turn into a life-threatening emergency.\n\n\u201cCutting Medicaid isn't just a budget decision, it's a decision that could cost lives. The life of my mother, myself, and my son.\u201d\n\nThe delegation was also joined by dozens of physicians, nurses, care providers, representatives from hospitals across the state, and representatives from all of the region's federally qualified health clinics. Photo and video assets from event linked.\n\nChristianaCare Wilmington Campus President, Dr. LeRoi Hicks, M.D., MPH, MACP said,\u201cMedicaid is critical to Delaware\u2019s healthcare ecosystem, providing life-saving care for our most vulnerable, underrepresented, and diverse communities. Cutting Medicaid will do irreparable harm to people in our community \u2013 eliminating a lifeline for our patients and putting further strain on safety net hospitals, including ChristianaCare\u2019s emergency services. ChristianaCare is grateful for the Delaware Congressional Delegation\u2019s unwavering commitment and advocacy to preserve access to Medicaid for the people of our state.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a Federally Qualified Health Center, Westside Family Healthcare serves over 23,000 patients each year, with 47% of our patients enrolled in Medicaid. We are first-hand witnesses of the value Medicaid has in our patients\u2019 lives,\u201d said Chris Fraser, President & CEO of Westside Family Healthcare. \u201cMedicaid is more than a budget line\u2014it\u2019s a critical lifeline for children, seniors, people with disabilities, and families who depend on it for their healthcare. It enables working families to stretch limited resources and to focus on building financial stability, put healthy food on the table, and secure a safe home for their loved ones.\u201d\n\n\u201cHenrietta Johnson Medical Center is a Community Health Center serving 3600 patients in 2023 of which approximately 1500 received health care coverage through Medicaid,\u201d said Shay Scott, CEO of Henrietta Johnson Medical Center. \u201cIf Medicaid funding were to be reduced, yes, Henrietta Johnson Medical Center and the healthcare system at large would incur operational and financial strain, but more than that \u2014 nearly one fourth of Delawareans could face cuts to their care. Individuals, families, and communities would be hurt. Please protect Medicaid.\n\n\u201cAs Sussex County\u2019s safety net provider, La Red provides health care services to just under 13,500 residents,\u201d said Rosa Rivera, La Red Health Center Chief of Operations. \u201cNearly 40% of our patients are covered by Medicaid. If Medicaid is cut, many of our patients will delay care for conditions that if treated early would be more manageable and less expensive. Medicaid saves lives. It is that simple.\u201d\n\n\u201cMedicaid is an essential program - we are talking about basic healthcare for children and families across Delaware,\u201d said Brian Frazee, President & CEO of the Delaware Healthcare Association. \u201cPut simply, cuts to Medicaid mean less healthcare for Delawareans. Uninsured individuals are less likely to seek preventative care and more likely to delay needed care. This is a dangerous precedent to set and one that goes against our mission of ensuring quality, accessible, and equitable healthcare for every Delawarean. These cuts also strain critical resources for our hospital partners who are on the frontlines of patient care. I thank our Congressional Delegation for their steadfast advocacy for Delawareans and look forward to working with them to protect this critical program.\u201d\n\n\u200b\u200bThe Republican House Majority Conference passed a Budget Resolution on February 25, 2025 that directs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to cut spending under its jurisdiction by $880 billion in order to fund $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. The Energy and Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over Medicaid, Medicare and CHIP. While Republicans have ruled out cuts to Medicare, when Medicare is set aside, Medicaid accounts for 93 percent of the funding under the committee\u2019s jurisdiction, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found in a March 5 analysis.\n\nEven if all non-Medicaid and CHIP spending were eliminated, the committee would still need to cut federal spending on Medicaid and CHIP by well over hundreds of billions of dollars to meet the President\u2019s demands to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. The math is conclusive: Major cuts to Medicaid are the only way to meet the President\u2019s budget resolution requirements.\n\nPhoto and video assets from the event linked.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T00:15:27Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/delawares-federal-delegation-stands-united-save-medicaid"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7046379614621401, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}