National Nurses United

care funding in the country is going to sicken and kill our patients." On March 20, union nurses gathered at the district offices of five members of Congress: Rep. David Valadao's office in Bakersfield, Calif.; Sen. Collins' office in Portland, Maine; Rep. Mark Amodei's office in Reno, Nev.; Sen. Thom Tillis' office in Hendersonville, N.C.; and Sen. John Cornyn's office in Austin, Texas, to protest proposed Medicaid cuts that will devastate health care services in the region. Along with community organizations and Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) patients, nurse members of NNU affiliates at California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) presented checks made out to the "Billionaire Class" paid for by "Working People" totaling the amount of Medicaid funding at risk in their district or state if they vote to gut Medicaid to fund tax cuts for billionaires. In Bakersfield, nurses presented a check for $4.7 billion—the amount of Medicaid funding in California's 22nd Congressional district. In Port- land, nurses presented a check totaling $4.2 billion—the amount of Medicaid funding in Maine, covering a quarter of the state's population. In Reno, RNs presented a check for $1.1 billion, the amount of Medicaid funding in Nevada's 2nd Congressional district. In North Carolina, the check was for $19.4 billion, representing 2.8 million constituents—more than a quarter of the state—who receive lifesaving health care access provided by NC Medicaid. In Austin, nurses presented a check of $57.3 billion, representing 4.1 million constituents—nearly 14 percent of Texas' population who get care provided by Medicaid and CHIP. "As nurses, we see firsthand how vital Medicaid is for our patients," said Molly Zenker, RN in the float pool at HCA Mission Hospital. "Cutting Medicaid would be devas- tating for working families. If you vote to cut Medicaid, you're not saving money—you're handing a check to billionaires at the expense of your constituents' health. We challenge Sen. Tillis to stand with patients, not greed." "It is the moral choice to ensure that all Texans have access to the care they so des- perately need, which is why we are calling on Sen. Cornyn to preserve health care funding," says Monica Gon- zalez, RN at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin. "This check represents the obscene losses our communities would face if Sen. Cornyn prioritizes funding tax cuts for billionaires over patient care. As nurses, we know the devastating consequences of losing this funding. His constituents deserve care and compassion far more than the billionaires deserve another cent in tax cuts!" Nurses are also defending U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Veterans Health Administration from massive cuts, where the Trump administration has gutted the workforces. In addition to the tens of millions of people covered under Medicaid and CHIP, HHS agencies include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH). These agencies provide essen- tial research, guidance, and regulation that nurses and health care workers rely on for both patient care and their own health and safety. Moreover, tens of thousands of nurses are employed by the VA, the nation's largest public sector health care system, which is also facing cuts of 80,000 workers. Lucy Diavolo and Michelle Morris are communications specialists with National Nurses United. J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y | M A R C H 2 0 2 5 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 23 save Medicaid RICK REINHARDT PHOTOGRAPHY

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