To the editor:

On Feb. 11, the U.S. House passed the 217-215 Republican budget bill. If passed into law, the bill would extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts, almost all of which benefit billionaires and corporations by $4.5 trillion. It would also cut $2 trillion in spending over the next 10 years, including up to $1 trillion from Medicaid. The House bill would also add $4 trillion to the national debt.

The Republicans are silent on how these cuts could be achieved without massive cuts to Medicaid. There are thousands of Medicaid recipients in the North Country, most of them low income. Medicaid cuts would also endanger the survival of North Country hospitals, nursing homes and other medical providers, as well as the thousands of jobs they provide.

Would the passage of the Republican budget bill lead to the North Country becoming even more of an impoverished medical care desert than it is now? How could they not?

Elise Stefanik voted for the Republican bill, of course. Since she is soon to depart for the U.N., if she ever cared about her constituents, she certainly has no reason to now. But Elise and her master, Trump, do care about the control of the House, and holding her seat will be critical. She cares about this, if not us.

If you agree with more tax cuts for billionaires and corporations, exploding the national debt, and gutting Medicaid, no worries.

But if you don’t like the idea of making Musk and his bros even richer, while turning our region into even more of a health care and economic desert, please call Stefanik’s Washington office at 202-225-4611 and tell her so.

She counts these calls; they matter.

Your choice.

Sincerely,

Phil Newton

Saranac Lake