AUSTIN, TEXAS — Donald Trump and Co-President Elon Musk have launched an attack on the programs that hard-working Texans rely on under the guise of "government efficiency." In Texas, Greg Abbott is doing the same, leading Texas on a disastrous path toward inefficiency and insufficiency, unable to meet the needs of seniors, low-income families, and individuals with disabilities who rely on the social safety net for their health and financial stability. This is not about efficiency; it’s about prioritizing the wealthy at the expense of the working class and vulnerable communities.
For decades, Texas has been home to the nation’s largest population of individuals without health insurance, with almost 5 million Texans lacking coverage. Despite official estimates that Medicaid expansion would create an average of 350,000 more jobs per year and $300.8 billion more in state economic output, Greg Abbott and Republicans refuse to opt into an expansion that would provide coverage to over 1 million Texans at almost no cost to the state. Currently, Medicaid requirements are so stringent that most working adults don’t qualify, leaving many low-income families without health-care coverage. Greg Abbott’s refusal to expand the safety net has already had devastating effects on Texas communities — since 2005, the state has seen 24 of its rural hospitals close, the highest number in the nation. In total, 28% of counties in Texas have no hospital. This lack of healthcare disproportionately affects seniors and low-income families, who are often left with no choice but to forgo essential care.
“While Texas families already struggle to obtain adequate health care due to our state’s stringent policies and refusal to expand coverage, Donald Trump and Co-President Elon Musk are slashing programs like Medicaid and Medicare to give handouts to billionaires,” **said House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu. **"Cutting social security benefits harms our most vulnerable Texans — seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families who rely on these programs to survive. These careless cuts will drive up healthcare costs and push millions of Texans into financial instability while billionaires across the country reap the benefits of their tax cuts.”
"Citing government efficiency as a means to slash essential programs proves that Republicans are ignoring the needs of Texans,” **said Texas Women’s Health Caucus Chair Rep. Donna Howard. **“These cuts are not about efficiency; they are another avenue to undermine the well being of all Texans and push the Republican party’s political agenda. Texas has refused to expand Medicaid, a mistake that has cost the lives of vulnerable Texans. The reality is - over 5 million Texans do not access to health insurance, of those approximately 24% are women of reproductive age and nearly half of our state is a maternal health desert. Our sole focus should be on increasing access to affordable health care services and closing coverage gaps. These cuts only push us further backwards."