Politics, Parties, Candidates
Here's a look at documents from politicians, candidates and interested parties
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Trump Team Tries to Pretend the GOP Power Grab Was Not Their Idea
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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Trump Team Tries to Pretend the GOP Power Grab Was Not Their Idea
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Republicans' gerrymandering power grab has backfired - and Republican operatives are trying to avoid the blame
After Democrats' win in Virginia last night, the architect of the GOP power grab, James Blair, is trying to distance himself from the failed ploy because Republicans are well on their way to losing the midterms.
After lamely acting like their corrupt mid-decade redistricting scheme wasn't his fault,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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Trump Team Tries to Pretend the GOP Power Grab Was Not Their Idea
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Republicans' gerrymandering power grab has backfired - and Republican operatives are trying to avoid the blame
After Democrats' win in Virginia last night, the architect of the GOP power grab, James Blair, is trying to distance himself from the failed ploy because Republicans are well on their way to losing the midterms.
After lamely acting like their corrupt mid-decade redistricting scheme wasn't his fault,Blair tried to change the subject to talk about their new, likely still doomed, midterm strategy:
"It comes down to the policies that President Trump and the Republicans have put in place."
Let us review what Republicans in D.C. have 'accomplished':
* A decimated health care system across the country
* Rural health care services shutting down
* SNAP cuts for hardworking Americans and families
* Skyrocketing gas prices
* Price-hiking tariffs that made essential goods more expensive
Taken collectively, it's no wonder that on the same network Blair appeared on, CNN presented the following report card given to him, Donald Trump, and House Republicans revealing how bad voters have soured on this administration.
DCCC Spokesperson Bridget Gonzalez :
"Republicans know that their scheme to rig the midterms is blowing up in their face -they've lost the American public, and with it, the midterms. It's why we are watching in real time, Republican operatives like James Blair spin excuse after excuse to avoid any blame from the shellacking they're heading for in November."
***
Original text here: https://dccc.org/trump-team-tries-to-pretend-the-gop-power-grab-was-not-their-idea/
REUTERS: "Tom Barrett tapped into voter frustration over high gas prices... Now the Republican is on the defensive on that same issue"
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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REUTERS: "Tom Barrett tapped into voter frustration over high gas prices... Now the Republican is on the defensive on that same issue"
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"Christine Waugh-Fleischmann, who spends up to $200 a week on gas for drives to see her grandchildren, said after discussions with Republican friends about inflation she believes the district can be flipped."
New reporting highlights how once again, Tom Barrett failed on his central campaign promise of lowering costs: this time, on gas prices.
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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REUTERS: "Tom Barrett tapped into voter frustration over high gas prices... Now the Republican is on the defensive on that same issue"
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"Christine Waugh-Fleischmann, who spends up to $200 a week on gas for drives to see her grandchildren, said after discussions with Republican friends about inflation she believes the district can be flipped."
New reporting highlights how once again, Tom Barrett failed on his central campaign promise of lowering costs: this time, on gas prices.
Then: Barrett " filmed himself filling up his tank at a gas station in August 2023," saying " we'll get gas under control so that this will be a lot more affordable for families like yours and families like mine."
Now?
* Average gas prices in Michigan are skyrocketing, " up 27% since the Iran war began."
* Barrett " voted against a congressional resolution to limit Trump's war powers " - twice.
* Voters across MI-07 " protest high fuel and fertilizer prices and call for an end to the war," slamming Barrett for his votes in support of the war.
* A Michigan voter says " I do see a lot of people in my conservative neighborhood here who are very upset'... as she filled her SUV at the same Quality Dairy gasoline station in Charlotte, Michigan where Barrett made his 2023 social media post."
And Barrett couldn't be more out-of-touch when it comes to how Michiganders are feeling about his war that is raising their prices at the pump.
Reuters : "After a Reuters reporter mentioned interviewing a constituent who could afford to put only $14 of gas into her car, Barrett redirected the conversation to national security, repeatedly asking whether she had been questioned about Iran's nuclear ambitions. 'Did you ask her if she thought Iran should develop a nuclear weapon?' Barrett asked."
DCCC Spokesperson Katie Smith :
"Tom Barrett promised to lower gas prices, but instead of getting costs down he keeps signing checks that he can't cash for an endless war while everything keeps getting more expensive. Barrett has only been in D.C. one year and has already abandoned his constituents who can't afford the higher prices at the pump because he's too busy trying to spend money on another war."
Reuters: Tables turn as Republicans face gas-price attacks they once used on Democrats
* Tom Barrett tapped into voter frustration over high gas prices as part of his successful 2024 run for Congress in Michigan. Now the Republican is on the defensive on that same issue as Democrats see an opportunity to flip his seat.
* "Gas in Michigan is four bucks a gallon," Barrett said as he filmed himself filling up his tank at a gas station in August 2023. "When I'm elected to Congress, we'll produce our own energy. We'll get gas under control so that this will be a lot more affordable for families like yours and families like mine."
* Nearly three years after he posted that video to social media, average gas prices in Michigan are back near the same level, briefly topping $4 in early April before settling around $3.80 this week, up 27% since the Iran war began on February 28.
* The surge has put Republicans who campaigned against high fuel costs under Democratic President Joe Biden on the defensive heading into November's midterm elections, with control of the House at stake and the Senate potentially in play.
* The vulnerability is especially acute for Barrett, who represents one of the country's most competitive districts as a U.S. congressman and is already facing Democratic attacks on the issue.
* In an interview with Reuters, Barrett acknowledged that gasoline prices were squeezing his constituents' finances but said the war was justified on national security grounds and expressed hope that prices would fall.
* The recent rise in gas prices has exacerbated Republicans' woes heading into the election, with Americans already disgruntled by high food and property prices as well as healthcare costs.
* Gas was not the sole focus of Barrett's 2024 campaign, but he repeatedly returned to the issue as part of a pledge to fight inflation under Biden.
* In late July 2024, for example, Barrett posted photos on X of gas price signs from four different stations, all hovering around $4 a gallon.
* Now, Democrats see gas prices as a potent weapon in their effort to flip Barrett's predominantly white district, which is centered on Lansing and stretches across farmland and small towns, and east toward the outer edge of the Detroit metro area.
* On April 13, local Democrats, farmers and activists gathered at a gas station outside Lansing to protest high fuel and fertilizer prices and call for an end to the war. "Tom Barrett + Iran War and We Pay," read the sign carried by one protester. "Got Gas Pains? Vote Democrat for Relief," read another.
* Yet Barrett voted against a congressional resolution to limit Trump's war powers and says he supports efforts to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, arguing that current high gas prices stem from a justified foreign-policy choice, unlike a Biden-era spike he blames on limits on domestic oil production.
* After a Reuters reporter mentioned interviewing a constituent who could afford to put only $14 of gas into her car, Barrett redirected the conversation to national security, repeatedly asking whether she had been questioned about Iran's nuclear ambitions.
* "Did you ask her if she thought Iran should develop a nuclear weapon?" Barrett asked.
* Reuters did not ask the constituent, Danielle Lewis, about Iran's nuclear capabilities but discussed the war's impact on gas prices.
* Democrat Christine Waugh-Fleischmann, who spends up to $200 a week on gas for drives to see her grandchildren, said after discussions with Republican friends about inflation she believes the district can be flipped.
* "I do see a lot of people in my conservative neighborhood here who are very upset," said the 70-year-old art teacher, as she filled her SUV at the same Quality Dairy gasoline station in Charlotte, Michigan where Barrett made his 2023 social media post.
* "It's gas. It's grocery prices, it's healthcare costs."
***
Original text here: https://dccc.org/reuters-tom-barrett-tapped-into-voter-frustration-over-high-gas-prices-now-the-republican-is-on-the-defensive-on-that-same-issue/
Pennsylvania Court Rules Abortion is a Right. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick Disagrees.
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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Pennsylvania Court Rules Abortion is a Right. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick Disagrees.
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Reminder: Fitzpatrick supports a national abortion ban
In a major victory for reproductive freedom, the Commonwealth Court on Monday ruled that Pennsylvanians have a right to an abortion.
But vulnerable Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick doesn't agree that abortion should be a right.
Fitzpatrick voted for a nationwide abortion ban that would rip away reproductive rights
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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Pennsylvania Court Rules Abortion is a Right. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick Disagrees.
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Reminder: Fitzpatrick supports a national abortion ban
In a major victory for reproductive freedom, the Commonwealth Court on Monday ruled that Pennsylvanians have a right to an abortion.
But vulnerable Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick doesn't agree that abortion should be a right.
Fitzpatrick voted for a nationwide abortion ban that would rip away reproductive rightsfrom women across the county, calling it " a good starting point. "
And he voted not once, but twice to allow states to ban abortion by voting against the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify the freedoms Roe v. Wade guaranteed, and continues to vote against its consideration.
DCCC Spokesperson Eli Cousin:
"If Brian Fitzpatrick had his way, Pennsylvanians would be living under a national abortion ban."
***
Original text here: https://dccc.org/pennsylvania-court-rules-abortion-is-a-right-congressman-brian-fitzpatrick-disagrees/
MISSING IN ACTION: Monica De La Cruz Misses Crucial Vote to Support Rural Health Care
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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MISSING IN ACTION: Monica De La Cruz Misses Crucial Vote to Support Rural Health Care
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After providing the critical vote to gut Medicaid and devastate Texas' rural hospitals, De La Cruz's betrayals reach new bounds
Yesterday, as Congress voted on a bipartisan bill to support funding for rural health care services, Monica De La Cruz was nowhere to be found.
Rural Texans already face significant barriers to obtaining quality health care thanks in large part to De La Cruz's health
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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MISSING IN ACTION: Monica De La Cruz Misses Crucial Vote to Support Rural Health Care
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After providing the critical vote to gut Medicaid and devastate Texas' rural hospitals, De La Cruz's betrayals reach new bounds
Yesterday, as Congress voted on a bipartisan bill to support funding for rural health care services, Monica De La Cruz was nowhere to be found.
Rural Texans already face significant barriers to obtaining quality health care thanks in large part to De La Cruz's healthcare cutting agenda. Now, De La Cruz can't even be bothered to show up to vote on legislation that would help expand health care services in rural areas and improve the quality of care that rural Texans receive.
REMINDER: Last year, Monica De La Cruz provided the critical vote to rip billions of dollars away from Medicaid causing devastating impacts for Texas' rural hospitals in particular. Texas now has the most rural hospitals at risk of closing in the entire country. Nearly 60% of rural hospitals in Texas cannot deliver babies leaving thousands of Texans without a place to safely give birth.
DCCC Spokesperson Madison Andrus:
"Monica De La Cruz created this crisis and now she can't even be bothered to even pretend to be a part of the solution. Texans are suffering, paying hundreds more for health care every month and facing devastating hospital closures and De La Cruz isn't doing the bare minimum required of her taxpayer funded job - voting. Where in the world is Monica De La Cruz?"
***
Original text here: https://dccc.org/missing-in-action-monica-de-la-cruz-misses-crucial-vote-to-support-rural-health-care/
COOK POLITICAL REPORT: "Democrats Favored to Flip Four House Seats Under New Virginia Map"
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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COOK POLITICAL REPORT: "Democrats Favored to Flip Four House Seats Under New Virginia Map"
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New race ratings from the non-partisan Cook Political Report make it clear: Democrats are squarely on offense across Virginia.
Cook writes that "under the new map, Democrats are favored in 10 of the state's 11 seats."
They write that Congresswoman Jen Kiggans is "highly vulnerable," Congressman Rob Wittman "has no chance at winning" his existing district, and that neither Congressman
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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COOK POLITICAL REPORT: "Democrats Favored to Flip Four House Seats Under New Virginia Map"
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New race ratings from the non-partisan Cook Political Report make it clear: Democrats are squarely on offense across Virginia.
Cook writes that "under the new map, Democrats are favored in 10 of the state's 11 seats."
They write that Congresswoman Jen Kiggans is "highly vulnerable," Congressman Rob Wittman "has no chance at winning" his existing district, and that neither CongressmanJohn McGuire or Congressman Ben Cline "has the record or background to seriously contest" whatever seat they may choose to run in.
DCCC Spokesperson Eli Cousin:
"Virginia voters have spoken, and they made it clear that they are sick and tired of Washington Republicans' jacking up their costs and ripping away their health care. We are on offense in Virginia and well positioned to flip seats up and down the Commonwealth in November."
Read more from Cook:
ON VA-02:
* " The new lines leave Kiggans highly vulnerable, and we're shifting this district from Toss Up to Lean Democrat."
* "[Rep. Elaine Luria] outraised Kiggans by several hundred thousand dollars last quarter and had $2.3 million on hand."
* "[Kiggans] has already faced $1.7 million in attack ads from a liberal dark money group, slamming her for voting to cut Medicaid."
ON VA-05:
* "The transformed 5th District would be incredibly difficult for a Republican to win, shifting from a district that Trump won by 12 points in 2024 to one that he would have lost by nine."
* "Regardless of who wins the GOP nomination, this race is rated Solid Democrat."
* "45% of the new district's population comes from Richmond suburbs that were previously in the 1st District - making it a natural fit for Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor, who announced she would run here in February. Taylor has raised $1.3 million this cycle and isn't expected to face much serious opposition in the Democratic primary."
ON VA-06:
* "In 2024, this district would have voted for Kamala Harris by three points, and in 2025, Abigail Spanberger carried it by 12."
* "Whether or not this seat is open, Republicans are at a clear disadvantage. Neither of the potential candidates has the record or background to seriously contest a light blue district in a difficult political environment, so we're rating this race Likely Democrat."
***
Original text here: https://dccc.org/cook-political-report-democrats-favored-to-flip-four-house-seats-under-new-virginia-map/
A Nebraska Dialysis Center is Closing Its Doors. Republicans are to Blame.
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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A Nebraska Dialysis Center is Closing Its Doors. Republicans are to Blame.
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Less than a year after Republicans voted to enact historic health care cuts, a rural Nebraska hospital is ending its dialysis program - and Republicans' "Rural Health Transformation Fund" wasn't enough to save it.
Chadron Hospital was a lifeline for dialysis patients, but after facing a $1 million loss on its dialysis services they were forced to shutter their doors, even as Republicans touted $50 billion
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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A Nebraska Dialysis Center is Closing Its Doors. Republicans are to Blame.
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Less than a year after Republicans voted to enact historic health care cuts, a rural Nebraska hospital is ending its dialysis program - and Republicans' "Rural Health Transformation Fund" wasn't enough to save it.
Chadron Hospital was a lifeline for dialysis patients, but after facing a $1 million loss on its dialysis services they were forced to shutter their doors, even as Republicans touted $50 billionin rural health care funding.
Thanks to Republicans' devastating cuts, rural patients are left scrambling to find the lifesaving care they need, with one Chadron Hospital patient fearing the worst: "I guess I'll just bloat up and die in a month."
REMINDER: Republicans' so-called "Rural Health Transformation Fund" is nothing but a useless bandaid for their $1 trillion health care cuts - which MAGA extremist Brinker Harding proudly endorsed.
Read more:
KFF Health News: Rural Nebraska Dialysis Unit Closes Despite the State's $219M in Rural Health Funding
* The sun was just warming the horizon as Mark Pieper left his house near his cattle ranch on a crisp February morning.
* For the past 3 1/2 years, three days a week, Pieper has made an early-morning commute to get dialysis at the nearest hospital.
* That February morning was one of his last dialysis sessions there before the hospital shuttered the service at the end of March.
* "I guess I'll just bloat up and die in a month," Pieper remembered thinking when he learned the center was closing, eliminating the only option near his home.
* Pieper and 16 other patients relied on Chadron Hospital for the life-sustaining therapy that filters waste and fluid from their blood -a job their failing kidneys could no longer do. Treatment lasts about four hours.
* The closure is just one example of the long decline of health care services in rural America, where people have higher rates of many chronic conditions but less access to care than elsewhere.
* The Trump administration promised to address this problem, when it launched the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program in September. It may not be enough to stop the trend.
* Jon Reiners, CEO of the independent, nonprofit Chadron Hospital, wrestled with the decision to end dialysis services. He and several patients said that the closure was announced as Nebraska officials celebrated the $219 million the state will receive in first-year funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program.
* But the five-year program is aimed at exploring new, creative ways to improve rural health, not to help existing services stay afloat. States can use only up to 15% of their funding to pay providers for patient care.
* Reiners said Chadron Hospital lost $1 million a year on its dialysis service due to low reimbursement rates that didn't cover operational costs.
* The facility is a critical access hospital, a designation that allows certain small, mostly rural hospitals to get increased reimbursement rates for their Medicare patients. While most of the affected patients were on Medicare, the critical access program doesn't cover outpatient dialysis, Reiners said.
* The Wrights wrote letters to politicians and hospital leaders to share their concerns and ideas for keeping the unit open, including using the federal rural health funding.
* Simonson said she spoke with aides for the governor and her state representatives but none of the leaders called her back.
* "It feels like they don't know that we exist at this end of the state," she said.
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Original text here: https://dccc.org/a-nebraska-dialysis-center-is-closing-its-doors-republicans-are-to-blame/
"What's at Stake is People's Livelihood": Dayton Voters Blast Mike Turner's Vote to Gut Medicaid and SNAP
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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"What's at Stake is People's Livelihood": Dayton Voters Blast Mike Turner's Vote to Gut Medicaid and SNAP
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"Local residents say anxiety is building in the midst of high living costs."
Mike Turner cast the deciding vote to gut Medicaid from more than 18,000 hardworking Ohioans in his district, and rip food off the table of 40,000 OH-10 families. Now, Dayton residents are at his doorstep calling out his cruelty.
Last week, protestors took to Turner's Dayton office to expose the
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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"What's at Stake is People's Livelihood": Dayton Voters Blast Mike Turner's Vote to Gut Medicaid and SNAP
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"Local residents say anxiety is building in the midst of high living costs."
Mike Turner cast the deciding vote to gut Medicaid from more than 18,000 hardworking Ohioans in his district, and rip food off the table of 40,000 OH-10 families. Now, Dayton residents are at his doorstep calling out his cruelty.
Last week, protestors took to Turner's Dayton office to expose thedevastating impacts of his vote for the Big, Ugly Bill. One expectant mother said Turner's cuts put her prenatal care at risk. Other residents described the impossible math of losing benefits while rent and grocery bills keep climbing.
As Dayton resident Julia Price put it: "We put Mike Turner in office thinking that he would provide the votes that we needed to get the things that we needed."
Instead, he voted to take them away - $33 billion out of Ohio's Medicaid program over the next decade, plus hundreds of millions more from SNAP.
The kicker? When reporters asked Turner to explain himself, his office couldn't even be bothered to respond.
DCCC Spokesperson Riya Vashi :
"Ohio families are drowning -losing their health care, struggling to put food on the table, scared to open their bills -and Mike Turner has nothing to say for himself. Turner sold out his district, and in November, OH-10 voters are going to send him packing."
Read more:
Dayton Daily News: Dayton residents decry Medicaid, SNAP cuts
* Thousands of Dayton-area residents could be impacted by changes to federal programs that provide food assistance or medical care, and local residents say anxiety is building in the midst of high living costs.
* Dayton resident Julia Price said she's frustrated.
* "We are neighbors. We are friends, we're mothers and fathers, we all want to have a good life," Price said. "We all want our families to have a good life and we put (U.S. Representative) Mike Turner in office thinking that he would provide the votes that we needed to get the things that we needed."
* Price and more than a dozen people associated with advocacy groups like the Working Families Party, Popular Democracy and the Black Women's Health Initiative gathered outside Turner's downtown Dayton office Thursday afternoon, April 16, to talk about how changes to federal medical and food assistance programs could impact people living in Montgomery County.
* The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Donald Trump last year, is estimated to cut $1 trillion over the next decade from the Medicaid program, and billions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Turner was among Ohio's federal lawmakers who voted in favor of the federal spending package.
* Turner's Office did not immediately return a request for comment about the cuts.
* Mariah Adu said she's a Medicaid recipient. Her health insurance covers the care she needs during her pregnancy. "All of my prescriptions, vitamins, prenatal pills, I've been getting it through Medicaid," she said. "And it's not because I'm not working towards anything better for my life, but it's just where I am right now, and I know a lot of people are in a similar position."
* The Health Policy Institute of Ohio estimates that nearly one in four Ohioans are enrolled in Medicaid. That same group estimates that Ohio is expected to lose about $33 billion over the next decade for the Medicaid program.
* And according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, more than 1.4 million Ohioans -76,000 of which are in Montgomery County -are SNAP recipients.
* Adu said thousands of people living in the Dayton area use programs like Medicaid and SNAP to survive. She fears cuts to both programs would disproportionately impact children and their mothers, as well as older Ohioans.
* "What's at stake is people's livelihood, people's health, and their ability to live healthy lives," Adu said.
***
Original text here: https://dccc.org/whats-at-stake-is-peoples-livelihood-dayton-voters-blast-mike-turners-vote-to-gut-medicaid-and-snap/
