ICYMI: U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) Stands with Locals Against Medicaid Cuts That Put Kansans at Risk

Last week, Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) and local advocates held a press conference at Vibrant Health to push back against President Trump and House Republicans’ efforts to cut Medicaid in order to pay for tax giveaways for billionaires and big corporations. These cuts, pushed in a partisan bill in Congress, would have devastating consequences for Kansans — putting children, seniors, people with disabilities, and workers at risk. If enacted, they would force families to pay more for worse care, all while benefiting the ultra-wealthy.

Davids has been a strong advocate for protecting and expanding Medicaid to ensure Kansans have access to affordable health care. Along with last week’s press conference, she has:

• Fought to expand Medicaid in Kansas, which would cover an additional 150,000 Kansans and strengthen rural hospitals.
  • A report found that Kansas could increase its economic output by $17 billion and add an estimated 23,000 new jobs if the state chose to expand Medicaid.
• Supported  legislation to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months, reducing maternal mortality and improving health outcomes for new mothers.
• Opposed efforts mentioned above that could slash Medicaid funding, calling for bipartisan solutions that lower costs and improve care rather than threaten Kansans' health and economic security.

Davids’ press conference made headlines across Kansas:

KCTV:

“Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids now pushing back against President Trump’s effort to slash government spending. The Democrat says her Republican colleagues in Congress are pushing a bill to ‘gut Medicaid.’

‘I’m all for a responsible government,’ [said Davids]. ‘I want efficiency. I want to figure out ways so the federal government is free from fraud, waste, and abuse. And cutting Medicaid ain’t it. We’re not going to get there by cutting Medicaid. And the actual approach that we’re seeing right now is reckless and responsible.”

Kanas Reflector: Rep. Sharice Davids points to Kansas leadership ‘failure’ on Medicaid, vows to resist federal cuts

“U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids underscored her opposition to federal Medicaid cuts Friday and called out “failure of leadership” in Topeka for the Legislature’s refusal to expand Kansas’ Medicaid program.

Davids, a fourth-term Democrat, voted Tuesday against what she called a ‘partisan bill,’ referring to a budget measure that cleared the U.S. House by a thin margin. The measure could include nearly $900 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the next 10 years.

Appearing Friday at a family health clinic in Kansas City, Kansas, Davids and local advocates emphasized the dire consequences of cutting Medicaid funding. Earlier in the week, state advocates gathered reporters at the Statehouse in Topeka to condemn the proposed cuts and bring awareness to their potential impacts on Kansans.

Davids said she would continue to vote against Medicaid cuts and added her support for Medicaid expansion in Kansas, which has been repeatedly blocked by Republican leadership.

‘I would go so far as to say we’re seeing a failure of leadership in Topeka,’ Davids said. ‘There is overwhelming support from communities across our state, and this is not a partisan issue.’

More than 427,000 Kansans rely on Medicaid for health insurance coverage, and an estimated three out of five births in the state are covered under Medicaid. Children, seniors and people with disabilities are expected to be the most affected by cuts.

Rural Kansans are also likely to be more at risk because of already precarious rural hospitals, said Davids, who represents Kansas’ 3rd District that encompasses Anderson, Franklin, Johnson and Miami counties and half of Wyandotte County. 

An estimated 150,000 more Kansans would be eligible for Medicaid coverage if it was expanded.”

Fox4:

“Earlier this week in Washington D.C., House Republicans voted to pass a budget resolution. Now it must get together in the Senate. In the meantime, Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids and fellow Democrats are speaking out.

The Third District Congresswoman hosted a new conference in Kansas City, Kansas at Vibrant health speaking out against how she says proposed cuts could affect Kansans, claiming more than 41,000 children and 11,000 seniors in her district, the Third Congressional, could lose their health care if the budget is signed by President Trump. 

‘And folks definitely shouldn’t have to worry if their kids, their parents, their neighbors are going to lose health care because politicians in Washington and trying to put billionaires ahead of everyday people,’ [said Davids].”