Michigan advocates, politicos slam James' vote to approve proposed Medicaid cuts

Yahoo

16-05-2025

U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.) speaks at an Oct. 2 campaign event with Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance in Auburn Hills. | Kyle Davidson
Michigan advocates say those most in need will feel the adverse effects of GOP cuts to Medicaid following a congressional this week vote to pass legislation that would slash hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending.
Both U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) and U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) sit on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which passed the bill Wednesday. Dingell voted no, while James voted yes.
'I especially worry about how senior Michiganders will fare under the legislation Congressman James voted for this week,' said Dr. Christine Crader, a palliative medicine physician from St. Clair Shores, which is in James' district.
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Crader was among physicians from across the country, including from Colorado, Iowa, and New Jersey, who spoke during a virtual press event Thursday to criticize their representatives for voting for the bill in committee and urge them to cease any further support for the legislation.
The event was sponsored by the Committee to Protect Health Care, a PAC that supports an expanded health care system.
Crader says the legislation won't just result in depriving Medicaid recipients of health care coverage, it will also raise health care costs for many people, including seniors.
'Many poor, older and disabled people are enrolled in Medicare but use Medicaid to cover copayments they cannot afford. So if their Medicaid is taken away, as it could be under the legislation Congressman James voted for, these seniors and disabled people might not be able to pay their co-payments or other costs,' Crader said.
Michigan Democratic Party Curtis Hertel was less restrained in his criticism, calling James 'a disgrace' to the state and the millions of Michiganders that rely on Medicaid.
'The worst part is, all of these cuts that rip away health care from people who need it, is all to give the richest 1% yet another tax break,' Hertel said.
A request was sent by Michigan Advance to James' office, but has yet to be returned.
However, James, who is a Republican candidate for governor in 2026, has said in the past that Republicans are working to protect Medicaid from insolvency to 'ensure those who've rightfully paid into their benefits & our most vulnerable can access these essential programs.'
An analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office indicates that the proposed Medicaid changes would cut $625 billion in federal spending over the next decade, resulting in approximately 10.3 million people losing access to either Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program. Additionally, 7.6 million people would become uninsured during the 10-year budget window.
Michigan League for Public Policy President and CEO Monique Stanton said the cuts being made to Medicaid spending as well as to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are part of an overall tax plan that would increase deficits by $3.8 trillion over 10 years,
'To put life-saving programs like Medicaid and SNAP on the chopping block in order to create tax cuts that mainly benefit the wealthy is egregious,' Stanton said.
'Everything that we know is critical to Michigan's growth — bringing down maternal mortality rates, making sure older folks can afford their prescriptions, making sure kids and families have the nutrition they need — that's all at stake now. And for what? To make sure more wealthy people get a tax cut,' Stanton said.
Also criticizing the proposed cuts to the Medicaid program is Danielle Atkinson, executive director and founder of Mothering Justice, a Michigan-based policy organization.
'These proposed funding cuts Republicans are trying to push through would devastate working-class families and mamas of color in Michigan. This is a class war being declared on some of our most vulnerable populations by out-of-touch politicians who won't be impacted by this political malpractice. I call on the Michigan congressional delegation to vote against these cuts, and to step up and protect low-income families and communities of color,' Atkinson told the Advance.
A major piece of the Republican-sponsored legislation is the implementation of work requirements for those on Medicaid, which the CBO estimates would save more than $300 billion over the next ten years. Democrats have countered that the vast majority of recipients work full or part-time, and the savings will be realized through red tape that will cut off benefits to those who otherwise qualify.
Crader says she has seen that first-hand among her patients.
'We had challenges in Michigan when people had to reconfirm and go through all of the paperwork to qualify again for Medicaid and I had at least two patients in my clinic who for a period of time were without insurance and were worried that they were not going to be able to see me as a physician, that they were not going to be able to pay for pain medications that they were taking for Stage 4 cancer,' Crader said.
She also said while the political battle plays out in Washington D.C., many of her patients don't yet grasp the changes the proposed legislation will bring.
'I don't feel that my patient population really understands the impact of these Medicaid cuts. I'm not sure they believe it will actually happen because all of them wonder how could humans do this to other humans,' Crader said.