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PHOENIX - Arizona Democratic Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego held a town hall on Monday, warning citizens of what they’re calling "impending cuts" to Medicaid.
What we know:
Several Democrats are concerned about possible, although not certain, cuts to Medicaid, also known as AHCCCS in Arizona, which is a joint state and federal system that covers Medicare for those with financial needs.
"Would you mind telling your colleagues in Washington that when they are burning down this house, there are people still inside? My kid is still inside," a speaker named Quianna Brown said.
Emotions ran high at the town hall.
The senators are pointing to a budget plan adopted by House Republicans last month. It calls on the energy and commerce committee to identify at least $880 billion in mandatory spending cuts over the next ten years.
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Kelly, Gallego hold Medicaid town hall
Democratic Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego hosted a town hall meeting on March 17 over worries that the budget resolution recently passed by U.S. House lawmakers could result in cuts to Medicaid.
Big picture view:
"In that one committee, it basically controls two big chunks of money: Medicare and Medicaid. Now, I don’t think they are dumb enough to go after Medicare, but I do think they are going to go after Medicaid," Gallego said.
The two claim this would hurt those on the cusp of poverty the most, but also have rippling effects.
"Hospitals are going to have to cut staff, and that staff affects the people who aren’t on Medicaid or who aren’t on Medicare. It has an impact on everybody," Kelly said.
FOX 10 reached out to several Arizona Republicans on the state and federal level. All were either unavailable or they did not respond back.
However, for weeks, Republican lawmakers have insisted DOGE government-cutting measures are essential for eliminating fraud and waste.
Speaking to reporters on March 11, Elon Musk emphasized these moves may be necessary for these programs.
"Only by tackling the waste and fraud in entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, can we actually preserve those programs for the future, because with unchecked fraud and waste, we won't be able to afford them," Musk said.
A stance that Gallego responds to by saying, "what they are doing, is just completely arbitrary."
"If they want to do something, we can do it together, in a manner that is respectful, so that these employees, one-third of them being veterans, and, at the same time, find real cuts and real ways and at the same time protect services too," he said.
About 2,000,000 people are enrolled in Medicaid in Arizona.