If confirmed, Donald Trump’s HHS pick RFK Jr. would oversee the very grants that keep community health centers afloat – or at least they did until Trump’s Project 2025 minions froze them. After his disastrous confirmation hearings that left Americans with more questions than answers, RFK Jr. now has another question to respond to: Will RFK Jr. back Trump’s health care shutdown?

Trump’s Project 2025 federal funding freeze continues to have disastrous consequences for Americans across the country, shutting down community health centers.

Ali Rogin, PBS NewsHour: “Federally-funded community health centers in at least 5 states are or were unable to draw down their grant funding. So far, we know of VA, VT, MT, ME and MN. We also know that ME has since been able to access their grant funds.” 

VPM News: “Half of Virginia’s community health centers have been cut off from federal grant money, forcing some to stop providing certain services and others to close branches.

“The commonwealth has 31 Federally Qualified Health Centers with over 200 locations — a majority of which serve rural areas with limited access to medical care. Annually, about 400,000 Virginians rely on the care provided by these nonprofit, community-based centers, according to the Virginia Community Healthcare Association. …

“Since Jan. 28, 16 of the state’s FQHCs have been unable to access federal funding that allows them to pay employees, according to Joe Stevens, a VCHA spokesperson. …

“Despite the delayed spending freeze, multiple community health centers across Virginia have been unable to access their federal grants — blocking one of their three primary funding sources, along with Medicaid reimbursements and private insurance policy revenue. …

“The rural parts of the commonwealth will be affected more than some of the urban areas.’” 

East Oregonian: “Nearly 471,800 Oregonians receive care from a federally qualified health center, according to data compiled by the Oregon Primary Care Association — that’s about one in 10 people in the state. …

“[I]f federal grants to federally qualified health centers stop, 30 FQHCs in Oregon would be affected. The organizations rely on federal funding for payroll, rent and other costs to provide care. Some centers have enough cash on hand to cover a few months; others could only keep the doors open for 30 days.”

Central Oregon Daily News: “The La Pine Community Health Center (LCHC), which largely serves a rural, high-risk population, announced staffing cuts Wednesday, citing the recent federal funding freeze. …

“The health center said the ‘difficult’ decision to reduce its workforce is an ‘effort to protect its ability to provide care to the residents of La Pine and surrounding communities as it awaits further direction’ from Health Resources and Services Administration.” 

RFK Jr. already showed he doesn’t understand the basics of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act – which comes as no surprise given he doesn’t realize that the vast majority of Americans support these critical programs to access health care. 

CNBC News: “RFK Jr. stumbles over basics of Medicare, Medicaid during Senate confirmation hearings … 

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, appeared to be unfamiliar with fundamental elements of the Medicare and Medicaid programs Thursday during his second Senate confirmation hearing.”  

Sen. Ben Ray Luján: “Mr. Kennedy, do you know how many babies born in this country are covered through Medicaid?”

RFK Jr.: *prolonged silence* “I would guess- I don’t know the answer. I would guess about 30 million.”

RFK Jr.: “Americans don’t, by and large, don’t like the Affordable Care Act. … They don’t like Medicaid.” 

KFF: “Similarly, Medicaid, the federal-state government health insurance program for certain low-income individuals and long-term care program, is also very popular with three-fourths of adults (77%) holding favorable views, including six in ten Republicans (63%), and at least eight in ten independents (81%) and Democrats (87%). Medicaid is also popular among those enrolled in the program with 84% saying they view the program favorably.”

KFF: “Majorities [Democrats 88%, Republicans 62%, and independents 73%] Across Partisans Say It Is Very Important [the Affordable Care Act’s] Pre-Existing Condition Protections Stay In Place”