Sen. Schatz & Legislators Send Message to Trump

U.S Sen. Brian Schatz. United State Senate photo.

Medicare and Medicaid should be protected, not cut is the message U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and 18 others sent to President-Elect Donald Trump.

Trump’s recent actions have suggested he might do just that.

In a letter to Trump, the senators raised concerns over his choice of Rep. Tom Price for U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and language on the transition website that calls for changes to Medicare and Medicaid.

“Over 100 million Americans rely on these programs for healthcare,” the senators wrote. “Low-income children and families and people with disabilities are the primary beneficiaries of Medicaid. Millions of seniors and individuals with disabilities have earned and rely on their Medicare benefits. Medicaid is the only assistance available to millions of low- and middle-income families who have a loved one requiring nursing home care. As you noted when you extolled their benefits on your campaign website, cutting these programs would be devastating.”

Today, nearly 245,000 people in Hawai‘i are Medicare beneficiaries, and more than 300,000 Hawai‘i residents are enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP. Since its creation, these programs have provided vital health care services for seniors and families in need.

In addition to Sens. Schatz, Warren, and Wyden, the letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i).

Full text of the letter available here.