GRAND RAPIDS, MI – U.S. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI03) visited Cherry Health, one of Michigan’s largest community health centers, to speak out against proposed federal budget cuts that would devastate Medicaid funding and put health care for millions of Michiganders at risk.
“Our community health centers are already doing more with less to serve the people who need care the most. House Republicans’ proposed cuts would be catastrophic, not only for patients but for the entire health care system in Michigan,” said Rep. Scholten. “Slashing Medicaid isn’t fiscal responsibility, and it will actually cost taxpayers more in the long run. And for what? Hard working families are being asked to pay the price so billionaires can get another tax break. I will keep fighting to stop these devastating cuts and protect the care that West Michigan families rely on.”
Medicaid cuts would hit providers hard, with community health centers potentially losing 40% of their funding. Providers and leaders at Cherry Health Center shared firsthand how these proposed cuts would strain patient care, increase wait times, and threaten the very survival of clinics serving the region. The proposed cuts would also force the state to make devastating choices: scaling back postpartum care for mothers, limiting services for children with special needs, reducing support for seniors in nursing homes, and leaving people with disabilities without critical coverage.
Due to outspoken backlash from the American public, the House Energy and Commerce Committee was forced to push back a hearing to consider a proposal cutting $880 billion from their budget—cuts that would be virtually impossible without slashing Medicaid.
Medicaid currently provides health coverage to over 2.3 million Michiganders, including nearly 40% of children, more than half of working-age adults with disabilities, and over one in three mothers and their newborns. The program is a cornerstone of Michigan’s health care system, especially for vulnerable populations who rely on community health centers like Cherry Health for accessible, affordable care.
Scholten has consistently worked to protect access to health care for West Michigan families, and this visit comes just weeks after Scholten launched her new Health Care Advisory Board. Today, Scholten reinforced her commitment to defending the programs that keep Michiganders healthy, safe, and cared for.
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