Approaching the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, DNC spokesperson Aida Ross released the following statement: 

“If you want to know what Donald Trump is plotting for a second term, just take a look at his record: Trump proposed hundreds of billions in cuts to Medicaid every single year he was in office as he pushed to deprive millions of hardworking Americans and even children of affordable health care by ending the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. Trump’s MAGA health care agenda is extreme and unpopular — and the American people will once again reject it at the ballot box, just like they did the last time Trump tried to gut Medicaid.”

Donald Trump proposed HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS in cuts to Medicaid every year he was in office as he tried to rip away affordable health care from hard working Americans and even children. 

In his FY18, FY19, FY20, and FY21 budgets, Trump repeatedly proposed hundreds of billions in cuts to Medicaid.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “President Trump has made clear that his goal remains to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including its expansion of Medicaid to low-income adults, and to impose rigid caps on the federal government’s Medicaid spending.”

ProPublica: “The Trump Administration Cracked Down on Medicaid. Kids Lost Insurance.”

Los Angeles Times: “Rebuffed by the courts in its previous efforts to gut Medicaid, the Trump administration teed up a new, far-reaching attack on the program that could affect the health of millions of low-income Americans.”

New York Times: “The Trump administration said on Thursday that it would allow states to cap Medicaid spending for many poor adults, a major shift long sought by conservatives that gives states the option of reducing health benefits for millions who gained coverage through the program under the Affordable Care Act.” 

CBS News: “Trump administration to withhold Medicaid funding from California over abortion insurance requirement”

MAGA Republicans are now rooting for Trump to regain power so he can continue attempting to gut Medicaid.

Politico: “Red states hopeful for a 2nd Trump term prepare to curtail Medicaid”

“Their plans, if approved by a Trump White House, could cut hundreds of thousands of people from a program that conservatives have long complained is bloated.”

If extreme MAGA Republicans quit their crusade against providing hardworking Americans with affordable health care, Medicaid expansion could benefit up to 2.9 million more Americans. 

KFF: “If all states adopted the Medicaid expansion, approximately 2.9 million uninsured adults would become newly eligible for Medicaid. This number includes the 1.5 million adults in the coverage gap and an additional 1.4 million uninsured adults with incomes between 100% and 138% FPL, most of whom are currently eligible for Marketplace coverage but not enrolled (Figure 7 and Table 1). Most of the adults who are currently eligible for coverage in the Marketplace qualify for plans with zero premiums; however, even with no premiums, Medicaid could provide more comprehensive benefits and lower cost-sharing compared to Marketplace coverage.”

Medicaid expansion is supported by Americans across the political spectrum —including in states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs.

Data for Progress: “Voters Oppose Funding Cuts for Federal Programs, Including Medicaid”

“Nearly half of all voters want to increase funding for Medicaid, and 89 percent believe that funding for the program should either be increased or remain the same. In contrast, only 7 percent of voters believe that Medicaid funding should be cut.”

“Among likely voters who live in states without Medicaid expansion, 65 percent support implementing Medicaid expansion in their state. This includes 85 percent of Democrats, 65 percent of Independents, and a majority of Republicans.”

KFF: “A majority of Democrats (89%), independents (75%), and Republicans (65%) hold positive views of Medicaid, the federal-state government health insurance for certain low-income adults and children. In addition to viewing the program favorably, most Americans say the current Medicaid program is working well for most low-income people covered by the program. More than two-thirds of the public overall (69%) say the program is working well as do large majorities of independents (63%), Republicans (69%), and Democrats (76%).”

KFF: “Two-thirds of the people living in states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act to cover more low-income adults say they want to see their Medicaid programs expand. This is nearly twice the share who say they want the program to stay as it is today (34%).”

Meanwhile, MAGA Republican governors refuse to expand Medicaid — keeping anywhere between tens of thousands to over a million of their constituents from accessing affordable health care. 

KFF: In Alabama, 174,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid.

KFF: In Florida, 570,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid.

KFF: And 29% of the uninsured Floridians who would be covered if Florida expanded Medicaid are Hispanic. 

KFF: In Georgia, 359,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid.

KFF: In Mississippi, 123,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid.

KFF: In South Carolina, 141,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid.

KFF: In Tennessee, 194,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid.

KFF: In Texas, 1,214,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid.

KFF: In Wyoming, 20,000 uninsured nonelderly adults would become eligible for Medicaid.

Trump and MAGA Republicans’ plan to rip away Americans’ health care is overwhelmingly unpopular among voters. 

Politico: “Obamacare is even more popular than the last time Trump tried to kill it”

“Roughly three-in-five Americans like the 2010 health care law, even more than when Trump and Republicans in Congress came to the brink of wiping it out. And some of the Affordable Care Act’s better-known provisions — like protections for preexisting health conditions — engender even greater support.”

“[Trump] did more than pick at an electoral scab that party strategists hoped had healed by now. He threatened to bring back to life a potent electoral issue that contributed significantly to the GOP’s wipeout in the 2018 midterms and on which public opinion has only moved away from Republicans since.”

Washington Post: “But what’s clear is that an effort to ‘terminate’ Obamacare is not something Americans are pining for. Not only were the GOP’s efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare during Trump’s term historically unpopular, but the law also appears to have gotten more popular since then. … And when politicians talk of ending health insurance for tens of millions of Americans, dropping coverage of preexisting conditions and cutting Obamacare’s Medicaid funding, things get even dicier.”

CNN: “Obamacare has gotten popular. Trump doesn’t care”

Axios: “A new KFF poll underscores why former President Trump reigniting conversation about repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act was probably a bad idea politically … Only 32% of Republican respondents said they think the future of the ACA is a very important issue for 2024 presidential candidates to talk about.”

KFF Poll: 64% believe it is “very important” insurance companies continue to be prohibited from charging sick people more – including 51% of Republicans.

NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll: “Thirteen years after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, more than eight in ten Americans (83%) either agree or strongly agree that all Americans have a basic right to healthcare coverage.”

Bryan Bennett: “Per our October @NavigatorSurvey research, repealing the ACA (and January 6) remain the top concerns about Trump’s first term as president”