Nurses to Rally Nationwide Against Medicaid Cuts on July 1

Nurses Nationwide Mobilize Against Proposed Medicaid Reductions

On July 1, a series of rallies will be held by nurses at the district offices of U.S. legislators to protest proposed cuts to Medicaid, as announced by National Nurses United (NNU), the largest union of registered nurses in the United States.

The demonstrations will focus on several U.S. representatives and senators, including Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA-03), Rep. Jay Obernolte (CA-23), Rep. Ron Estes (KS-04), Rep. Mike Turner (OH-10), Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Senator Bill Cassidy (LA), and Senator Susan Collins (ME).

“We challenge elected representatives to have the courage to speak with the nurses in their communities and answer us directly: ‘Whose side are you on: billionaire donors or your constituents?’” said Nancy Hagans, RN at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, and a president of NNU. “If Congress passes these Medicaid cuts, more than 51,000 people could die.”

What: Nurses rally against Medicaid cuts in GOP reconciliation package

When: Tuesday, July 1

Where: See here for list of facilities and local times

Hagans emphasized, “The simple truth is that our country cannot afford to bankroll billionaire tax cuts on the backs of everyday Americans. Not only does Medicaid provide lifesaving, safety-net care to patients who would otherwise unnecessarily suffer and die, but it also is a powerful engine of local economies that employs tens of thousands of people.”

Medicaid is a critical source of health care coverage for vulnerable groups, including the elderly, disabled, and young. Based on 2023 data, over 20% of individuals in the U.S. had health care funded by Medicaid. In states such as California, New York, and Louisiana, this figure was over 25% in 2023. Should these Medicaid cuts proceed, 7.8 million people might lose their health coverage.

National Nurses United, with over 225,000 members, is the largest and fastest-growing union of registered nurses in the U.S. Its affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.

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