Kevin Cramer’s tax reform bill is bad for Medicare and Medicaid

Bill calls for trillions in cuts from critical programs to pay for tax cuts for the very wealthy

The House is set to vote this week on a bill that would increase the deficit by $1.5 trillion and raise taxes on millions of middle class Americans. Without knowing how the bill will actually impact North Dakotans, Kevin Cramer has already pledged to vote Yes on it. In addition to hurting homeowners, education, the middle class and agriculture, the bill will likely make health care more expensive and less accessible for many North Dakotans.

“At a time when health care markets are finally stabilizing, now is not the time for Congress to try, yet again, to rip away coverage from millions of Americans,” said Ben Hanson. “As I’ve traveled throughout the state to listen to folks, they’ve have made it clear that health care is their number one concern. I’ve heard it in rural and urban communities, from Republicans and Democrats, from the working and middle classes.

“This bill would make massive cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, programs that families count on to keep them healthy. Medicare is a promise, one that seniors paid into over a lifetime of hard work. Medicaid is a lifeline for the most vulnerable among us, whether it’s for basic services or seeking care to fight back against the opioid epidemic. Using ‘tax reform’ as a guise to cut these programs is cruel, and it’s harmful to North Dakota.

“While agreeing to these cuts, and others we still don’t know about, Kevin Cramer is dismantling the foundation upon which North Dakotans depend, both for their physical health and their peace of mind.”

Medicare

The “pay-as-you-go” budget rule, also known as PAYGO, was established to “encourage Congress to offset the cost of any legislation that increases spending on entitlement programs or reduces revenues so it doesn’t expand the deficit.” Because Cramer’s tax bill, as written, would increase the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion, PAYGO demands that Medicare be slashed by $28 billion in 2018 alone, and by $473 billion by 2027. In North Dakota, nearly 119,000 people — approximately 16 percent of the population — depend on Medicare.

Medicaid

Cramer’s tax reform bill calls for $1.3 trillion in cuts to Medicaid by 2027. These cuts are even more draconian than what were called for under the Republicans’ many unsuccessful efforts to rip away coverage from tens of millions of Americans. More than 90,000 North Dakotans receive care though Medicaid, including 36,000 North Dakota children.