Columbus, Ohio - As the Senate prepares to consider Trump’s budget bill, Senator Jon Husted is still dodging questions about his support for Medicaid cuts that could rip away healthcare from as many as 500,000 Ohioans. Cuts to Medicaid are extremely unpopular in Ohio but Husted doesn’t want to admit his vote was bought by billionaires and special interests. 

When asked directly if he supported cuts, he refused to directly address the question- instead claiming a budget that would actually cost working families access to food, healthcare, and more would save them money. He then went on to say there was a need to “find savings” somewhere. 

“While Husted dances around questions about whether or not he’ll vote to cut Medicaid, families across Ohio are anxiously waiting to find out if they’ll be able to access the healthcare they need,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Husted has previously admitted he just does whatever Donald Trump wants. Ohioans clearly can’t count on him to stand up for their healthcare.”

Ohioans can contact Senator Husted at 202-224-3353 to urge him to vote against any bill that will rip away access to healthcare. 

READ MORE reporting from the Columbus Dispatch about what could be at stake if Husted votes to cut Medicaid: 

• As many as 500,000 Ohioans could lose Medicaid coverage under federal legislation that aims to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda.

• The U.S. House passed a sweeping budget bill last week that would slash Medicaid and food stamps, cut taxes and roll back climate policies. The measure would make unprecedented changes to the Medicaid program, which serves over 3 million patients in Ohio.

• While Republicans who backed the bill say Medicaid restrictions will help the government save hundreds of billions of dollars, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating that it would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $625 billion, the decrease in revenue expected to result from millions of Americans losing their health insurance may exceed those savings.

• An early estimate from KFF, a health policy research organization, determined that 307,000 to 512,000 Ohioans could lose coverage – numbers that may increase under the latest version of the bill.

• Medicaid provides health coverage to over 1.3 million children in Ohio and pays for nearly 40% of births in the state.