More than 400,000 Floridians have lost access to healthcare since H.R. 1 took effect in July of last year

Tallahassee, FL — On the 61st anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, and as Floridians are struggling to make ends meet, it is time to shine a light on the Republicans in Congress, including Rep. Byron Donalds (FL-19), who voted for the largest healthcare cut in U.S. history that has caused more than 440,000 Floridians to lose their coverage over the past year. 

“Byron Donalds’ record deserves to be called out for the hypocrisy of promising to make Florida affordable again while slashing healthcare and food programs working families and seniors depend on to give handouts to the billionaires and giant corporations who are lining his pockets with campaign contributions,” said Florida Watch Executive Director Natasha Sutherland. “Instead of delivering on his promise to lower costs for everyone, Donalds and his allies in Congress gutted Medicaid and drove up the cost of insurance for Floridians already working hard to make ends meet during an affordability crisis — all so his billionaire campaign donors can buy another yacht.

“Today, we commemorate the 61st anniversary of the passage of Medicaid and Medicare with the conviction that the health of Floridians should always come before corporate profits. But the only priorities for Byron Donalds are the favors he can do for his wealthy, corporate elite donors in order to advance his personal political ambitions and to win the approval of his boss, President Trump. If he hasn’t fulfilled his promises to his constituents during his time in office, he won’t do any better as the governor of all Floridians,” added Sutherland. 

According to estimates from the Florida Policy Institute, nearly 1.5 million people in the state are bound to lose health coverage due to the bill’s cuts. Broader estimates suggest that up to 4.5 million residents could lose their health insurance when combining these federal cuts with the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.

“Nothing about Donalds surprises us anymore: his words point one way, his actions point another — and his actions have never once pointed toward his constituents, only toward advancing his political career by selling out working families and seniors,” Sutherland said.

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Florida Watch is a communications and research organization that serves as the progressive community’s in-state hub for message development, digital communications, and research. Florida Watch keeps an eye on everything that goes on in our state to hold our elected officials accountable when they support laws and policies that make it harder for everyday Floridians to be healthy, prosperous, and safe.

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