02.10.2020 / Press Release

Statement: Trump’s 2021 Budget Request: Broken Promises in Black and White

Medicaid and CHIP on the chopping block, health care for millions of people could be impacted

Washington, D.C. – Families USA released the following statement regarding the budget proposal President Trump released today.

 “Here we go again with the broken promises to families, children, seniors, adults and others who President Trump claims to care about.

During his election campaign in 2016, he promised to protect Medicaid and other safety net programs. However, just three years later, he proposed a budget that would eviscerate these programs. These are not just any programs; they serve as the backbone of the health care safety net for more than 150 million people—including more than 40 million children, over 7 million low-income seniors, and nearly 5 million people with disabilities. President Trump is planning to slash Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and premium tax credits for low-income people by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade.

He has also promised to protect the Medicare program, which provides high-quality health coverage for more than 50 million seniors—yet his budget proposes cutting it by more than $750 billion over ten years. It seems that by “protection,” Trump means slashing health care programs by trillions of dollars and leaving millions of families stranded with less or no access to health care.

On Twitter and in speeches, President Trump continues to say he will protect people with pre-existing conditions, but his actions tell a very different story, most recently in the tale he’s spinning with his proposed 2021 budget. He plans to double down on his threat to repeal the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would eliminate the statutory protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

And despite his promises to lower the price of prescription drugs, the President has rejected the most significant opportunity to do so: allowing Medicare to negotiate on the price of drugs. This policy change, passed by the House of Representatives last year, would save more than $500 billion—money that could be reinvested in Medicare coverage.

Enough with the broken promises, President Trump. We implore you to keep your word, stand by families and offer a budget that allows families access to the health care they need and deserve.”