WASHINGTON, DC — The National Health Law Program’s Managing Attorney of the DC office, Mara Youdelman, released the following statement after the Senate approved the bipartisan debt ceiling agreement reached between President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy:
“The National Health Law Program is relieved that the House of Representatives and the Senate have voted to raise the debt ceiling and encourage President Biden to swiftly sign the bill. People across the nation can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the United States has been pulled back from the brink of fiscal ruin and that Medicaid has been saved from deep cuts and unnecessary barriers.
“The truth is, this was a crisis manufactured by congressional Republicans to force unpopular cuts to programs that support everyday people and enact a slate of right-wing policy priorities. Fortunately, advocates, like the National Health Law Program, rallied around our critical safety-net programs, including Medicaid, and provided President Biden and the administration’s negotiators with a bulwark to push back against draconian cuts.
“While the agreement is not perfect, and many people will likely face greater harm and insecurity because of work requirements for SNAP and TANF, we have avoided catastrophic Medicaid work requirements, which would have led to millions of people losing access to critical health care. This is a significant win for health care access and for the millions of low-income individuals and families who benefit from Medicaid, particularly people with disabilities, older adults, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, LGBTQ+ folks, and people in rural communities.
“We cannot, however, be complacent. Imposing Medicaid work requirements remains a priority for right-wing politicians, despite ample evidence that they lead to worse health outcomes, higher levels of medical debt, and do not actually encourage workforce participation. The National Health Law Program and our partners across the country will continue to fight to protect Medicaid access and work tirelessly to ensure that the program meets the needs of individuals and families across the United States.”
