Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference at CrescentCare, a federally qualified health center in Louisiana, with Rep. Troy Carter (LA-02) and Steering and Policy Committee Co-Chairs Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) and Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44) to highlight how Donald Trump’s budget devastates the healthcare of the American people and outline how House Democrats will hold House Republicans accountable for voting to pass their One Big Ugly Law.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning. It’s an honor and a privilege to be here in the great state of Louisiana, in this all-American city. Certainly thankful for the leadership of Congressman Troy Carter, for his partnership and his friendship, standing up, fighting hard each and every day on behalf of the people that he is privileged to represent here in Louisiana’s Second Congressional District. Let me thank Alice and the people at CrescentCare for the work that you do on behalf of the people in this community and all across the city and the state to ensure that they have access to high-quality care that is both compassionate and comprehensive. And our commitment is to make sure that we fight for every single person in this state, every single American across the country, to ensure that they can get the high-quality, affordable healthcare that people in this country, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, deserve.

We believe that access to high-quality and affordable healthcare shouldn’t simply be a privilege available to the wealthy and the well-off. It’s a right. It should be available to every single person in the state of Louisiana, and every single person in this great country. Unfortunately, the One Big Ugly Bill that has been jammed down the throats of the American people represents the largest assault on Medicaid and healthcare in American history. The One Big Ugly Bill will have devastating consequences for the people of Louisiana who rely upon Medicaid to get their health service, to address their medical needs, to be able to live with dignity and respect in a nursing home setting, to have hospitals that are available to them and not closed, particularly in parts of rural Louisiana, and to be able to get the type of compassionate primary care that exists at community-based health clinics like this one. But this struggle is not over. We’re just at the beginning. We’re going to fight hard to make sure that the devastating Medicaid cuts that are now part of this One Big Ugly Law that has been signed can be pushed back—not for Democrats, Independents and Republicans, but for all Americans. That is our struggle. That is our commitment. That is the fight that we are waging on behalf of the people of Louisiana and on behalf of the people of this great country.

The Louisiana state legislature, in an overwhelming and bipartisan way, passed a resolution, making clear that cuts to Medicaid will be devastating for the people of Louisiana, whether you’re in an urban part of the state, suburban part of the state, a small-town part of the state, a rural part of the state, it will be devastating, these cuts to Medicaid, to the people of Louisiana. The assault on healthcare is unacceptable, unconscionable and un-American. And I’m thankful for the leadership of Congressman Troy Carter in standing up for the people of this great state and helping to work with people from all across the political spectrum to do what is necessary to push back against the cuts that have now been enacted to educate the people of Louisiana and throughout the nation as to how damaging this One Big Ugly Bill will be to their quality of life. But most importantly, to assure everyone that our commitment is to continue to show up and stand up and speak up for your healthcare, for your quality of life, for an America where when you work hard and play by the rules, you can live a good life, have a good-paying job, good healthcare, good housing, good education for your children and, of course, a good retirement. That is our commitment to you, and we will not stop fighting until we can end this national nightmare and bring about an America that is the best version of herself.

Full press conference can be watched here.

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