WATCH: State Treasurers Demand Musk, Trump Abandon “Unconscionable” Cuts to Life-Saving Programs Like Medicaid

As Trump and Musk Gut Programs That Help Working Families, Children, and Seniors, House and Senate Republicans Have Backed Efforts to Gut Medicaid

Earlier today, Americans for Responsible Growth hosted four State Treasurers—Colleen C. Davis (D-Del.), David L. Young (D-Colo.), Laura Montoya (D-N.M.), and Elizabeth Steiner (D-Ore.)—to call out President Trump and Elon Musk’s cuts to life-saving programs that the American people depend on, as well as the administration’s federal funding freeze. Their reckless policies set off mass panic and put Medicaid payments, federal grants for medical nonprofits, and funding for hospitals serving our most vulnerable communities on the chopping block.

The treasurers demanded that Musk, President Trump and Congressional Republicans stop threatening to dismantle vital programs like Medicaid and immediately abandon their funding freeze to give Americans peace of mind and restore stability for our country, our economy, and the world.

State Treasurer Colleen C. Davis (D-Del.):

State Treasurer David L. Young (D-Colo.):

• “When people lack the right coverage, they seek treatment in emergency rooms, and this creates a massive tax burden on local communities and states. Treating needed care, but not care that’s needed in the emergency room, is a really ineffective way to promote good health care, and doesn’t result in good outcomes, and so these cuts actually go the wrong way if you’re trying to have healthy families and healthy communities.”
  
  

• “The Republicans’ current budget plan, backed by President Trump, is not only financially reckless, but it’s needlessly cruel. In Colorado alone, we have about 1.2 million seniors, disabled people, pregnant mothers, working-class families that depend on Medicaid. If federal cuts go through, our state must make up the difference by slashing other essential programs, like education, or kicking thousands of Coloradans off Medicaid. Neither option is acceptable to me. That’s why we must do everything we can to protect Medicaid.”

State Treasurer Laura Montoya (D-N.M.):

• “The results of President Trump’s and congressional MAGA Republicans’ federal funding freeze will lead to cuts in Medicaid, life saving programs, federal grants for medical nonprofits, and funding for hospitals, all to subsidize Musk and people who have loaded pockets just like him. Their malicious intent will have catastrophic consequences for the vulnerable New Mexicans and Americans across this country.”
  
  

• “And when we say that, I mean our newborns, our pregnant mothers, our veterans, our people with disabilities, our retirees, our firefighters, our cops, our teachers, and our elderly. The recently passed federal budget resolution, which will cut $880 billion from the US House Energy and Commerce Committee over the next 10 years, would be impossible to carry out without shattering Medicaid or Medicare.”

State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner (D-Ore.):

• “Rural hospitals are already struggling, and we have seen closures or limitation of services, in particular maternity care, across the rural parts of our state in these what are called ‘critical access hospitals.’ These hospitals, because a high percentage of the patients that they serve are on Medicaid, if these patients no longer have health care coverage, and let’s just be crystal clear about this, the people who are cut from Medicaid will not suddenly turn around and be able to purchase health insurance on the exchange, because that is not something they can afford.”
  
  

• “So I want to be clear that no Medicaid means no insurance at all for the vast majority of people, or minimal health insurance through employers that’s expensive and has very high deductibles and keeps people from seeking care.”

For the video and audio recording of the entire press conference, click here.

To book an interview with Americans for Responsible Growth Executive Director Dave Wallack or connect with the press teams for a state treasurer who joined today’s press call, please email Ryan Thomas at press@focalpointstrategygroup.com.