Lancaster, N.Y. (WBEN) - Democrat lawmakers are sounding the alarm after Republicans voted in favor of advancing the biggest Medicaid cut in history.
At Lancaster's Greenfield Health & Rehabilitation Center Wednesday, Senator Chuck Schumer warned residents that over $800 billion is on the line.
"I am warning here today, if this happens, if the $880 billion cut that passed the House of Representatives becomes law, 1000s of seniors would lose their health care throughout Western New York, 1000s, maybe even 10s of 1000s and 1000s of people would lose their jobs, even though they give good health care," stated Schumer.
Schumer says the reason the cuts are happening is because President Donald Trump and other Republican lawmakers want to give billionaires a tax break.
"If someone's a billionaire, God bless them. They have a lot of money, but they don't need a tax break, particularly at your expense, and at the expense of the workers here as well. That's what we're fighting. If they did this deep of a Medicaid cut, it would blow a crater through health care throughout Western New York, here in Lancaster, here in Greenfield and throughout the whole area and throughout the country," explained Schumer.