Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Introducing His Amendment To Prevent Republicans From Cutting Medicaid In Order To Provide Tax Cuts For The Ultra-Wealthy

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor introducing his amendment to prevent Medicaid being cut by Republicans to pass their tax cuts for the ultra-rich. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

This amendment is very simple: it allows no billionaires to have any tax cuts if a single dollar of Medicaid funding is cut.

The American people need to know where Senate Republicans stand on cuts to Medicaid. On Tuesday, Donald Trump claimed he was opposed to Medicaid cuts, then on Wednesday he supported it, and today he doubles down, and even opened the door to cutting Medicare.

He is flop flopping left and right, so the America people deserve to know — what about Senate Republicans? Where do they stand? 

Cutting Medicaid to pay for billionaire tax cuts would be a gut punch to working people.

Medicaid serves nearly 80 million people across the country, in states red and blue, from our sickest kids, to our infirm in nursing homes and vulnerable seniors.

These are the people we should focus on — kids, seniors, rural Americans — not billionaires.  They are doing well enough already.

My amendment will ask Republicans: do they really want to cut taxes for billionaires so badly that they’re willing to take health care away from kids?

How are you going to vote, my colleagues?

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