Medicaid Cuts: The Les Mis Version
Last week President Trump attended a performance of Les Miserables at the Kennedy Center followed by an expensive weekend military parade on his birthday, all on the cusp of the Senate taking up a mark of the House “Big Beautiful Bill” to take away benefits and services from the most vulnerable among us to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest. Even this theater kid couldn’t make it up. Thank you for bearing with me here because I promise I have a point.
As a reminder, the House passed legislation last month to put work requirements in place for recipients of Medicaid and the SNAP program, cut Medicaid further, and remove funding for reproductive health. All to finance tax deductions for high earners. DOGE cuts to critical programs that serve children, seniors, higher education, health research, drug development, and public health programming (among so many more) are yet to take effect but will have very real and lasting impacts nationwide. Taking bread (literally and figuratively) from hard working households to make the rich richer.
At the end of the day you're another day older
And that's all you can say for the life of the poor
It's a struggle, it's a war
Taking to the streets nationwide, peaceful No King protests showed that the people will not quietly stand for this. Frustration about DOGE gutting of critical functions of government will not subside quickly but there is still an opportunity for the Senate to stop the unchecked forward momentum in cutting jobs, services, and programming.
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
While DOGE lost its fearless leader, the damage has been done in losing decades of experience with the nonceremonial firing of legal, research, public health and policy experts.
Master of the house, doling out the charm
Ready with a handshake and an open palm
Tells a saucy tale, makes a little stir
Customers appreciate a bon-viveur
Glad to do a friend a favor
Doesn't cost me to be nice
But nothing gets you nothing
Everything has got a little price!
Looking at the Medicaid program and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace tax credits specifically, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates 16 million would lose coverage by 2034 – 7.8 million uninsured from Medicaid cuts, 4 million from cuts to the Marketplace cuts, and 4.2 million from failing to extend Marketplace tax credits.
After the performance Trump was asked if he identifies more with Jean Valjean or Javert Trump responded, “That’s a tough one, I don’t know.”
It’s hard to imagine not knowing who you relate to more: Jean Valjean or Javert. Unless you slept through the show. I’m not a French Revolution expert, but this doesn’t go well for those in power who ignore the lived experience on the ground and insulate themselves from the message people speak. The One Country Project will continue to highlight how these cuts impact people nationwide, particularly in rural areas.
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?