Fully Fund Medicaid and Reject Cuts to Disability Services

I am writing to demand that you oppose the $900 billion Medicaid cuts included in the tax legislation and fight for full federal funding of Medicaid. These cuts are forcing states like Idaho to make devastating choices that will destroy the lives of people with disabilities and their families. Governor Brad Little's budget plan would eliminate Idaho's home care services for people with disabilities, along with dental services and occupational and physical therapy for children and adults. More than 500 people flooded the Idaho statehouse last month to testify against these cuts. Nicole Jorwic, chief program officer at Caring Across Generations, described the situation as apocalyptic. Consider the real impact. Stephanie Walters, a 56-year-old nurse from Meridian, cares for her 28-year-old daughter Shelby who has cerebral palsy. State funding allows Walters to help Shelby with daily activities like dressing and using the bathroom while maintaining her nursing job. If these cuts pass, Walters will have to quit working to provide full-time care, leading to social isolation for Shelby and financial ruin for their family. James Baugh, a 73-year-old retired disability rights lawyer from Boise, cares for his 53-year-old son Gabriel who requires a ventilator and tracheostomy. Without home care funding, Gabriel would be forced into a long-term acute nursing hospital. The federal government is choosing to spend taxpayer money on luxury items and travel for administration officials while forcing states to cut lifesaving services. This is unconscionable. A 2024 Johns Hopkins study found that home care services directly enable adult daughters to remain in the workforce. Women account for almost 60 percent of all family caregivers and are more likely to leave jobs for caregiving responsibilities. I urge you to vote against any legislation that cuts Medicaid funding and to actively work toward full federal funding of Medicaid. People with disabilities deserve to live with dignity in their communities, not be warehoused in institutions because Congress chose different spending priorities.