releases: https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-sarah-mcbride-testifies-house-rules-committee-protect-seniors-harmful-cuts
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-sarah-mcbride-testifies-house-rules-committee-protect-seniors-harmful-cuts | Rep. Sarah McBride Testifies Before House Rules Committee to Protect Seniors from Harmful Cuts in GOP Budget Bill | 2025-07-01 | 2025 | 2025-07 | Democrat | House | DE | Sarah McBride | M001238 | mcbride.house.gov | mcbride | https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. — This evening, Congresswoman Sarah McBride (DE-At Large) testified before the House Rules Committee in support of her amendment to H.R. 1, the Republican budget reconciliation bill. The amendment addresses Section 71101 of the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, which imposes a moratorium on a 2023 rule designed to help low-income seniors more easily enroll in Medicare Savings Programs. Rep. McBride’s amendment introduces a simple safeguard: the provision delaying the rule may only take effect if the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) certifies that it will not result in: Reduced access to medically necessary care, or Increased out-of-pocket costs for seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. “Today I offer an amendment that is as simple as it is essential,” said Rep. McBride. “If this budget is going to delay the implementation of a rule designed to help low-income seniors afford their health care, then Congress should at least ensure that it won’t make things worse.” “Right now, 16% of all Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Savings Program,” said Rep. McBride. “That’s over 10 million Americans. Nearly 20% of all Medicare beneficiaries are dually eligible for Medicaid. In Delaware alone, that’s more than 35,000 of my neighbors — mostly older, mostly low-income and all just trying to live out their retirement with some shred of dignity.” A Hidden Cut to Medicare Though Republican leaders claim H.R. 1 “does not touch Medicare,” McBride challenged that assertion: “This provision is a Medicare cut. It’s a backdoor attack on benefits seniors have earned and need.” If enacted, the moratorium in Section 71101 would reverse progress made under the 2023 rule—reinstating cumbersome paperwork, delaying coverage, and potentially causing low-income seniors to lose access to care altogether. “It punishes people not for breaking a rule, but for failing to navigate a maze of them,” said Rep. McBride. It’s the worst kind of austerity: bureaucratic cruelty dressed up as budget reform.” McBride’s Amendment: A Safeguard for Seniors Rep. McBride’s amendment does not repeal the moratorium outright. Instead, it applies a condition: the provision cannot take effect unless CBO certifies that it will not harm seniors’ access to medically necessary care or increase their out-of-pocket costs. “If this delay truly won’t harm access or raise costs,” McBride said, “there should be no reason to oppose my amendment. But let’s be honest — we all know why the Majority doesn’t want that check: because it will confirm what they would rather keep quiet.” Protecting the Promise of Medicare Rep. McBride closed her testimony with a reminder of the original intent behind Medicare. She quoted President Lyndon B. Johnson, who signed the program into law in 1965: “No longer will this Nation refuse the hand of justice to those who have given a lifetime of service and wisdom and labor to the progress of this country.” “That was the promise,” McBride continued. “A promise of dignity in retirement. Of security in aging. Of care that doesn’t depend on your income or how well you can navigate red tape. This bill breaks that promise. “My amendment is a small check — a safeguard to protect seniors from needless harm. I urge this Committee to adopt it.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-07T14:40:33Z |