LANSING, Mich., June 12, 2025 — The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) sent a letter signed by state and local officials across the country to U.S. Sens. John Thune and Chuck Schumer in opposition to H.R. 1 — coined by the Trump administration as the “Big, Beautiful Bill” — recently. This legislation, currently under consideration in Congress, would gut essential public services — including deep cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and Medicare — while handing billions in tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this bill would increase the national deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. State Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) joined dozens of public officials in warning that the bill would devastate working families, seniors, people with disabilities and rural hospitals and nursing homes across the country and issued the following statement:
“I signed this letter because the stakes are clear. H.R. 1 balances the budget by throwing our most vulnerable neighbors under the bus, all to give billionaires another break. Medicaid keeps seniors in their homes, supports our rural hospitals and health workers and helps millions of people live with dignity. According to Munson Healthcare President and CEO Ed Ness, 75,000 residents across the region and 61 percent of births are covered by Medicaid. Michiganders can’t afford these cuts — not morally, not economically and not as a community.”
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