1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

As a rural constituent from Emmett, I am gravely concerned about the cuts to Medicaid promised in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” H.R. 1, that you voted for last week. I am writing to urge you to hold a public town hall to addresses how you plan to protect rural Michiganders from suffering the consequences of these Medicaid cuts. You have claimed many times that this bill will "strengthen, secure, and sustain" Medicaid. You recently posted a video in which you claim that you "want to make sure that Medicaid is there for the most vulnerable." You owe it to your constituents to explain HOW you intend to do this. Your constituents deserve answers, not empty platitudes. How will slashing Medicaid's funding by nearly 1 TRILLION dollars "strengthen" Medicaid or protect the most vulnerable? You have yet to address the very real concerns of your constituents, Republican and Democrat alike, who rely on this funding. Perhaps outlining some relevent facts might make these concerns more clear: • 16.1 MILLION people living in rural communities are covered by Medicaid. • 47% of rural births in the U.S. are covered by Medicaid. • 65% of nursing home residents in rural counties are covered by Medicaid. • Rural hospitals in Michigan are now on track to lose 2 BILLION dollars in funding over the next 10 years. • 10% of the jobs in rural communities are in the healthcare sector. These critical jobs are now under threat as rural hospitals face unprecedented losses in their funding. When my neighbors begin to lose their healthcare, when the hospitals in my area begin to close due to the lack of Medicaid funding, when ER waiting rooms become unable to cope with the sheer number of people needing care, when people in my community begin to lose their healthcare jobs, and when the elderly nursing home residents in my community lose access to the care they have earned after a lifetime of hard work, we will all remember how you voted, and we will remember your deafening silence. If you truly believe that this bill will strengthen Medicaid and the rural communities you represent, it should be very easy to hold a town hall and assuage our anxieties. If you truly believe that you are protecting the most vulnerable, prove it. Hold a town hall and explain exactly how you plan to protect your constituents. Please do the right thing and address your constituents, or you WILL be voted out in 2026. Thank you for your time and consideration.