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Columbus, Ohio- As the Senate prepares to consider Trump’s budget bill, Senator Jon Husted is still dodging questions about his support for Medicaid cuts that could rip away healthcare from as many as 500,000 Ohioans. Cuts to Medicaid are extremely unpopular in Ohio but Husted doesn’t want to admit his vote was bought by billionaires and special interests. 

When asked directly if he supported cuts, he refused to directly address the question- instead claiming a budget that would actually cost working families access to food, healthcare, and more would save them money. He then went on to say there was a need to “find savings” somewhere. 

“While Husted dances around questions about whether or not he’ll vote to cut Medicaid, families across Ohio are anxiously waiting to find out if they’ll be able to access the healthcare they need,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Husted has previously admitted he just does whatever Donald Trump wants. Ohioans clearly can’t count on him to stand up for their healthcare.”

Ohioans can contact Senator Husted at 202-224-3353 to urge him to vote against any bill that will rip away access to healthcare. 

READ MORE reporting from the Columbus Dispatch about what could be at stake if Husted votes to cut Medicaid: 

• As many as 500,000 Ohioans could lose Medicaid coverage under federal legislation that aims to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda.

• The U.S. House passed a sweeping budget bill last week that would slash Medicaid and food stamps, cut taxes and roll back climate policies. The measure would make unprecedented changes to the Medicaid program, which serves over 3 million patients in Ohio.

• While Republicans who backed the bill say Medicaid restrictions will help the government save hundreds of billions of dollars, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating that it would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $625 billion, the decrease in revenue expected to result from millions of Americans losing their health insurance may exceed those savings.

• An early estimate from KFF, a health policy research organization, determined that 307,000 to 512,000 Ohioans could lose coverage – numbers that may increase under the latest version of the bill.

• Medicaid provides health coverage to over 1.3 million children in Ohio and pays for nearly 40% of births in the state. 

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Columbus, Ohio- Following the beginning of Pride Month, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters released the following statement:

“Pride month is a time to honor the contributions LGBTQ+  Ohioans have made to our state, reflect on the progress we’ve made, and commit to continuing to fight for equality for all. 

While there will still be celebrations across Ohio, this year will be undoubtedly tainted by the actions of Republicans in our federal and state government who have chosen to target LGBTQ+  Ohioans at every turn. Instead of addressing our state’s rising cost of living or corruption in our state government, Republicans would rather drive young LGBTQ+ Ohioans away from the state.

Democrats will always stand with the LGBTQ+ community and are committed to fighting alongside them for a more welcoming Ohio where everyone can thrive,” said Chair Walters.

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Columbus, Ohio – Early this morning, almost every Ohio Republican voted to pass the GOP’s budget reconciliation bill, which now heads to the senate for further consideration. Republicans passed a dangerous budget that will rip healthcare away from families, close hospitals, and create even more barriers for Ohioans struggling to put food on the table.

Ohio is expected to be one of the hardest hit states following cuts to Medicaid. The budget reconciliation bill alone could slash healthcare access for as many as 400,000 Ohioans. Over a quarter of Ohioans count on Medicaid to stay healthy. Now, the disastrous and dangerous budget coming from Washington has them questioning whether or not they can get the care they need.

As Ohioans grapple with rising costs of groceries brought on by the Trump administration’s reckless economic policies, this bill also wants to make it harder for Ohioans to receive assistance with paying for food. More than 600,000 Ohioans count on SNAP to put food on the table, but now they’re faced with uncertainty about affording their next meal. 

“Instead of working towards a brighter, healthier future for Ohio, congressional Republicans chose to take away food and affordable healthcare from their own constituents in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires,”  said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Ohioans deserve better than representatives who vote to hurt their quality of life while helping their billionaire friends.”

Ohioans can find contact information for their Republican Members of Congress here to make sure they know the consequences of their disastrous vote.

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Columbus, Ohio – New research has revealed that if House Republicans pass their budget reconciliation bill and allow affordable healthcare tax credits to expire, as many as 400,000 Ohioans could lose their healthcare. Whether it’s rising doctors’ bills, risk of hospital closures, or ripping away healthcare all together, this budget will be disastrous and dangerous for Ohio.

Over a quarter of Ohioans rely on Medicaid to access the healthcare they need, but Ohio Republicans appear ready to vote for a bill that will rip away healthcare from families, punish workers who lose their jobs, and shut down hospitals and medical practitioners across the state. Republicans who vote for this bill will show their constituents that they’d rather sacrifice their healthcare to give tax breaks to billionaires. 

“Ohioans should be able to easily and affordably access the healthcare they need, but so far congressional Republicans have opted for more tax breaks for billionaires,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “We’re calling on our Republican congressional delegation to stand up for their constituents and vote against this dangerous bill.”

Ohioans can find contact information for their Republicans members of Congress here to call and demand they vote against dangerous cuts to their healthcare.

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Columbus, Ohio- Over the past months, Ohioans have been forced to contend with a never-ending barrage of bad news from Washington while their jobs, education, and more are on the line. Here’s a recap of just a few ways Washington billionaires like Donald Trump and Elon Musk have harmed Ohio families while cutting taxes for fellow billionaires. 

Donald Trump issued an executive order to eliminate the Department of Education while Governor DeWine cheered.  Now, Ohio is in danger of losing billions in funding, disproportionately harming low-income students.

• The Department of Education allocates funds to Title One schools, which have the highest numbers of low-income students. Ohio educated over 800,000 students with these funds. For Ohio’s low-income students, these funds help pave the path to a brighter future for themselves and our state. Their state’s elected officials would rather score points with Donald Trump than grow the next generation of Ohio’s leaders. 
• Columbus Dispatch: Ohio could lose more than $5 billion in annual funding it receives from the U.S. Department of Education after Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the department.

As costs continue to rise, billionaires are cancelling programs that fed hungry Ohioans and boosted Ohio farmers. 

• Hungry Ohio families have been left scrambling to find assistance after billionaires eliminated funding for organizations that feed hungry Ohioans. While families face even more uncertainty about whether or not they can put food on the table, Republicans would rather see lower bills for billionaires.
• NBC4: Food banks and farms are facing challenges after the U.S. Department of Agriculture eliminated key funding programs as the Trump Administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said they are slashing federal spending to reduce government waste.  The move cuts about $420 million for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, a program that helped feed hungry people with high-quality Ohio-grown products. 

While billionaires brag about their own tax breaks, they’re putting Ohioans in danger.

• Donald Trump and Elon Musk have gutted critical staff and resources that monitor environmental conditions and watch for potential hazards in the Great Lakes. Almost three million Ohioans rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water. Now, Republicans have cut critical safety measures to keep their water safe.
• ProPublica: Cutbacks have gutted the staff at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. […] Multiple people who have worked with the lab also told ProPublica that there are serious gaps in this year’s monitoring of algal blooms, which are often caused by excess nutrient runoff from farms. […] That data has helped to successfully avoid a repeat of a 2014 crisis in Toledo, Ohio, when nearly half a million people were warned to not drink the water or even touch it.

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