58 Years Later, Medicare & Medicaid Are Under Attack For Millions of New Yorkers
Anniversary Comes as New York House Republicans Join Extremists to Undermine Critical Programs
NEW YORK — Today, July 30th, marks 58 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, creating Medicare and Medicaid. These programs have been both successful in their impact and incredibly popular, with 78% of Medicaid and 84% of Medicare recipients having favorable views of their respective programs.
New Yorkers pay some of the highest healthcare costs in the country, ranking 11th highest in the nation according to a recent Forbes analysis. Despite this, New York House Republicans have joined the extreme members of their party to undermine New Yorkers’ access to health care. Reps. George Santos, Anthony D’Esposito, Marc Molinaro, and Brandon Williams all voted to make it more difficult for seniors to access Medicare benefits and put Medicaid coverage at risk for millions of New Yorkers.
“Medicare and Medicaid are vital lifelines for millions of New Yorkers and their families,” said Maria Martinez, Executive Director of Empire State Voices. “Attempting to gut these programs is one of the most callous and underhanded examples of political dishonesty I’ve seen. Hardworking New Yorkers rely on these programs and expect their representatives in Congress to protect and expand them, regardless of party.”
Tomorrow, July 31st, Empire State Voices will launch its advocacy effort in New York’s 4th Congressional District by hosting a community conversation with residents of NY-04 to discuss their economic concerns, from healthcare costs and inflation to tax fairness—issues being exacerbated by Representative D’Esposito. RSVP here.
To learn more about the campaign, please reach out at press@empirestatevoices.org
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
