ACTION TODAY: Help Protect Medicaid For Over 70 Million Americans

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Dear PIVOTers, 

Congress is currently considering budget cuts that could jeopardize three programs/subsidies which provide health care and food for approximately 100 million million Americans. In terms of economic impact, in 2026 alone, these cuts are estimated to result in over a million job losses and reduce states’ economies by 18 billion above and beyond federal savings. May 9 has been set as the target date for committees to finish their markups. Through May 9th we need you to act now and act daily to protect and defend Medicaid, which alone provides health coverage to 72 million Americans. 

What is going on with the federal budget?

The Senate and the House are in the middle of negotiating the federal budget, which includes decisions on what we spend and where we get the money.  

The version that the Republican-majority House passed contains:

  1. The largest cuts to Medicaid (public insurance for over 70 million low-income individuals, families, disabled persons, and elders) in US history.

    1. While legislators promised not to touch Medicare, 30% of Medicaid dollars go to Medicare beneficiaries. A cut to Medicaid is a cut to Medicare beneficiaries, including many Vietnamese American seniors living on a fixed income.

  2. Reduced food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), making it harder for the 40 million individuals who rely on SNAP to put food on the table.

  3. Make student loans more expensive. 

  4. No mention of renewing the tax credits that make purchasing insurance on the health insurance marketplace exchanges affordable for individuals who don't qualify for public or employer-sponsored health insurance (including contractors like Vietnamese nail salon workers). This is estimated to make another 4 million Americans uninsured.

In sum, this could negatively affect health care access for at least 100 million individuals who rely on Medicaid and the health insurance marketplace exchanges. This includes many working and middle class Vietnamese Americans. These cuts are predominantly to offset tax cuts for the wealthy, not about fiscal responsibility (Trump’s budget is actually estimated to increase the deficit by $5-11.2 trillion).

What can I do? 

Contact your Senate and House representatives to tell them not to pass a budget with these cuts to our basic needs.

Find your House representative here. Find your Senate representative here.

Actions You Can Take Between NOW and May 9th

  • Your US congressional representatives are in-district until Monday, April 28. Attend town halls or meet with them in-district this week.

  • Continue calling and pressuring your federal representatives on both the Senate and House sides DAILY, especially swing Republicans and key congressional targets. Some Republicans have promised to protect Medicaid in budget negotiations, so don’t count anyone out (or “in”). We can and ARE moving the needle. 

  • Sign onto this letter to tell your representatives to protect Medicaid. 

  • Share your story with PIVOT or directly on social media:

    • Share your story of how Medicaid is important to you. 

    • Share your disdain for the House Republican Budget Resolution.

    • Share calls to action to advocate for Medicaid. 

    • Tag your reps and @pivotorg on Instagram and Facebook 

    • Use the hashtag #IAmMedicaid #HandsOffMedicaid #HandsOffOurMedicaid

  • Call your state representatives to protect Medicaid funding. State reps can and have been pressuring federal reps.

In particular, we are focusing on Republicans in 2026 swing districts and key congressional members (due to their committee assignments). Italicized are the most urgent targets:

House of Representatives
**David Schweikert (AZ-1)
*David Valadao (CA-22)
*Young Kim (CA-40)- Note: Young Kim has refused to host a townhall so far this year.
*Ken Calvert (CA-41)
Nick LaLota (NY-01)
Andrew Garbarino (NY-02)
*Mike Lawler (NY-17)
**Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07)
*Rob Bresnahan (PA-08)
Dan Newhouse (WA-04)
**Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06)
**Gabe Evans (CO-08)
**Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-1)
**Tom Barrett (MI-07)
**Don Bacon (NE-02)
** Scott Perry (PA-10)

Senate
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Susan Collins (ME)
Tom Tillis (NC)
Jim Justice (WV)
Shelley Moore Capito (WV)
Bill Cassidy (LA)
Chuck Grassley (IA)
Joni Ernst (IA)

**: Swing Republican District in 2026 elections
*: Lean Republican District in 2026 elections

Thank you for supporting these efforts to fight for these crucial social services that impact approximately 100 million Americans.