Sen. Murray and fellow senators urge President-Elect Trump to follow through on promises on Medicare and Medicaid

Published 1:30 am Friday, December 9, 2016

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined with 16 fellow senators to send a letter to President-Elect Donald Trump that reminded him of his campaign promises to reject cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

The letter also asked Trump to clarify whether he still intends to abide by his campaign promises.

The senators’ letter pointed out differences between the President-Elect’s statements during the campaign, which were highlighted on his campaign website, and statements that are now posted on his transition website.

Murray’s office said Trump’s new policy positions run counter to his promises as a candidate to protect Medicare and Medicaid, and instead echoing Congressional Republicans’ plans to cut these programs.

Washington state had more than 2.4 million Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in 2015.

The letter also noted that Tom Price, Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, has been a “leading architect” of such plans.

“During your campaign for President of the United States, you differentiated yourself from your 16 primary opponents by noting that you were the only Republican who would protect Medicare and Medicaid,” the senators wrote. “After winning the election, you suddenly appear to be using language supporting policies that would gut the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”

The letter continues, “Over 100 million Americans rely on these programs for health care. Low-income children and families and people with disabilities are the primary beneficiaries of Medicaid. Millions of seniors and individuals with disabilities have earned and rely on their Medicare benefits. Medicaid is the only assistance available to millions of low and middle-income families who have a loved one requiring nursing home care. As you noted when you extolled their benefits on your campaign website, cutting these programs would be devastating.”

The senators pressed Trump to live up to his campaign promises and reject any cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

“We ask that you rapidly and publicly clarify in plain language for the American public that you continue to stand behind your campaign promises; that you will not raise the Medicare eligibility age; that you will not privatize, voucherize, or otherwise cut Medicare benefits; and that you will not put in place changes to Medicaid that force enrollees’ coverage to be dropped and benefits to be cut or limited,” they wrote. “You promised Americans you would not cut Medicare or Medicaid — please tell Americans you will stand by your promise to them.”

The letter was also signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.).