CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. – A group gathered outside Rep. Claudia Tenney’s office in Canandaigua to protest her support for President Donald Trump’s tax cuts and spending bill, which recently passed the Senate.
Organizers called the event a “vigil” to mourn the anticipated losses from the bill. Roneika Burns, a healthcare advocate and event organizer, said they did this in order “to make an impact. To really show what is actually going to happen if these cuts actually take place. To really say that this is going to hurt our community. This could be deadly in cases.”
The gathering began just after 6 p.m. with speeches about the potential impacts Medicaid cuts could have on the healthcare community. Candace Rubin, a teacher in the Rochester City School District, said, “Medicaid cuts will devastate our school district. We have many practitioners, many therapists, who are directly funded by Medicaid money. So our speech therapist, our psychologist, our social workers, they’re directly funded by Medicaid, so if that money is cut, the kids would lose those services and it would create massive layoffs.”
The group marched along the road, chanting as cars honked in support. A brief candlelight vigil was held before organizers collected personal stories to share with Tenney’s office.
Rebecca Levy, a local kidney doctor, said, “A lot of our patients are on Medicaid, and losing access to Medicaid for kidney disease patients means that they’re not going to get the care that they need, the medications, the dietary advice, the counseling to slow down the progression of their kidney disease to keep them off dialysis.”
Natalie Luntzmartin, a protester, said, “My uncle he’s almost 96 and he’s got dementia now. He has an aide that comes in that helps him cause he can’t reliably get meals and get food for himself now. He needs some support. And if things get worse and he needs to be in a nursing home, he couldn’t possibly do that without Medicaid.”
Organizers said they have made several attempts to communicate with Tenney’s office through emails, phone calls, and a petition with more than 600 signatures opposing Medicaid cuts. Burns said Tenney has not responded.
Tenney’s office has been contacted for comment and is expected to make a statement once the bill passes the House.
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Healthcare advocates, community hold vigil outside Rep. Claudia Tenney’s office to protest Medicaid cuts WHEC.com.
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