REP LIEU HOSTS TELEPHONE TOWN HALL TO DISCUSS REPUBLICAN HEALTH CARE CUTS
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday evening, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) hosted a telephone town hall with Dr. Anish Mahajan, Chief Deputy Director at LA County Department of Public Health; Dr. Mitesh Popat, CEO of Venice Family Clinic; and Dr. Andrea Turner, CEO of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Congressman Lieu and his guests discussed concerns from LA County constituents about the Republican health care cuts in the Big Ugly Bill, H.R. 1. Congressman Lieu voted no on this bill.
Congressman Lieu’s telephone town hall took place on House Democrats’ Medicaid and Medicare Matters Day of Action to oppose Republican health care cuts.
Listen to the full telephone town hall here
“Approximately 14,000 residents are going to lose their health insurance in California’s 36th Congressional District under this big, ugly law,” said Rep. Lieu. “California, statewide, will see a $150 billion cut, at least, in federal funding from Medi-Cal, which is what we call Medicaid in California, and over 2 million Californians will lose health insurance. And so, this is a very dramatic law that's going to affect many people in California.”
“We work on making sure the food is safe, we protect the water and soil, we prevent outbreaks and respond to outbreaks of bird flu and other diseases, we do work around sexual and reproductive health. We're essentially working for you, 24/7, for the 10 million residents of LA County,” said Dr. Mahajan. “But what the Republican Congress has done with their ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ has put a lot of this at risk. About 50% of LA County's public health budget depends on federal grants and federal resources.”
“The net effect of all of this seems to be that the federal government is waging a war on poor people and people of color,” said Dr. Popat. “I can conclude no less based on these myriad of actions that have been taken. And to me, as a son of immigrants, it's unconscionable, it's un-American, it's not what makes this country great.”
“The impact of the Medicaid cuts in the recently approved Big Bill is beyond comprehension,” said Dr. Turner. “As a safety net hospital, we care for people who are often underserved, but that does not mean they are not working. Many are parents whose jobs don’t provide affordable health insurance, families doing their part in our communities who rely on us for care. These are hardworking people, the backbone of our country.”
The Republican-passed Big Ugly Bill will have devastating consequences for Southern California. Health insurance premiums will increase, especially for those on the Affordable Care Act, and Southern California hospitals will face millions in increased costs.
Congressman Lieu will continue to fight back against these harmful cuts.
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