Davids Stands with Kansans to Oppose Devastating GOP Cuts to Medicaid, Food Assistance

Today, Representative Sharice Davids hosted a virtual press conference to call out the devastating impact of House Republicans’ budget — particularly its deep cuts to Medicaid. The partisan budget, backed by President Trump, would also slash emergency food assistance and programs hardworking Kansans rely on every day to pay for more than $1 trillion in tax giveaways for billionaires and large corporations.

“We should be focused on cutting waste and making life more affordable for Kansans,” said Davids. “Instead, this partisan budget does the exact opposite — rips away health care and food assistance from the people who need it most. Kansans deserve policies that invest in the middle class, not ones that line the pockets of billionaires at their expense. That’s why I’m fighting to protect Medicaid, preserve critical programs, and stand up for hardworking families across our state.”

WATCH: Davids hosts press conference with Kansans affected by Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts

At today’s press conference, Davids was joined by Kansans directly impacted by proposed Medicaid cuts in the Republican budget. Mark and Patty Hink spoke about their son Brian, who relies on Medicaid for critical services and medications provided at a disability services provider in Overland Park. Samantha Denzin Armistead shared how her brother Connor, an adult with intellectual disabilities, depends on KanCare’s Home and Community Based Services to attend day programs that give him purpose and stability. Corey Craig, CEO of Monarch Hospice & Palliative Care, provided insight into how these cuts would harm health care providers and seniors across the state.

President Trump and U.S. House Republicans are pushing a budget that would make the largest cuts to Medicaid and emergency food assistance in American history — all to fund more than $1 trillion in tax giveaways for billionaires. These extreme cuts would force Kansans to pay more to put food on the table and stay healthy.

• Cuts to Health Care: The Joint Economic Committee estimates that more than 16,000 people in Kansas’ Third District would lose health care coverage under this bill — including 13,000 through the Affordable Care Act and another 3,000 through Medicaid. These cuts would lead to more hospital closures, reduced services, and worse care for all Kansas families, especially in rural communities, where more than half of hospitals are already at risk of shutting down.
• Cuts to Food Access: In Kansas’ Third District alone, 8,000 households could lose access to the emergency food assistance they rely on through this bill. Also, up to 27,000 grocery stores nationwide may be forced to close due to lost revenue, worsening food deserts, especially in rural communities. These cuts would reduce farm income by more than $30 billion and threaten good-paying jobs.

To fight back against this reckless and harmful budget that will raise costs, Davids introduced a series of amendments early this morning. Her goal is to protect Kansas families and bring common sense and stability back to our economy and government. Davids’ original amendments include:

• Health Care
  • Affordable Care Act (ACA): Keeps ACA premium savings in place so families don’t face higher health insurance costs after 2025.
  • Medicaid Hospital Funding: Fixes a rule so Kansas can use $150 million in state funding to support rural hospitals.
• Agriculture
  • Animal Disease Protection: Stops job cuts at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, which protects farmers and food from dangerous animal diseases.
  • Tariff Study: Requires the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study how U.S. tariffs hurt farmers, from higher supply costs to lost market access.
• Research
  • Medical Research Funding: Unfreezes all National Institutes of Health (NIH) research money and protects existing medical research contracts, including at the University of Kansas Cancer Center.
  • Science Grants: Makes the National Science Foundation (NSF) keep its promises and funding for science projects already approved and signed, including at public universities in Kansas.
• Jobs
  • Manufacturing Partnerships: Ensures Kansas Manufacturing Solutions and similar groups keep getting federal support each year.
  • Energy Assistance Program: Saves jobs and funding for the team that runs Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps families pay heating and cooling bills.
  • Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit: Protects the 45X tax credit that domestic manufacturers use to help build clean energy technology and create good-paying jobs.