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Mattie Daughtry is president of the Maine Senate.
In Maine, we know what it means to fight for our healthcare. We know because we’ve had to — again and again. And now, once again, that fight is right in front of us.
Republicans in Congress have threatened deep cuts to Medicaid — not because the program is broken, and not because the need has gone away. They’ve proposed these cuts to pay for more tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. But here’s the thing: those cuts are wildly unpopular, and now they’re starting to back down. That’s no accident — it’s because people are speaking out. But make no mistake: this fight isn’t over. We need to keep the pressure up.
If these cuts were to go through, tens of thousands of Mainers could lose their healthcare, rural hospitals could shut their doors, and our state’s essential healthcare workforce could be gutted.
We’ve already seen what happens when MaineCare funding is delayed or cut. Earlier this year, during the supplemental budget process, Senate Republicans in Maine refused to support critical funding for MaineCare providers — funding that could have only taken effect immediately with their support. It didn’t take long for the consequences to hit: layoffs, service cuts, and health program closures. Healthcare systems don’t collapse overnight — they erode, one unfilled position or shuttered clinic at a time.
Today, one in three Mainers relies on Medicaid. Two-thirds of nursing home residents and nearly half of Maine’s children depend on this program. Medicaid is not some optional luxury. It’s the scaffolding that holds up families, schools, and local economies.
If Congress guts Medicaid, the damage would be irreversible. Rural hospitals and nursing homes could close, leaving vast stretches of Maine without accessible care. Children, working families, and seniors — people you know and love — could lose coverage. And because Medicaid supports so much of Maine’s healthcare system, every Mainer, whether they personally use Medicaid or not, would feel the impact.
It’s not hyperbole to say Mainers have already voted with their hearts and their ballots. We fought for Medicaid expansion five times — overcoming gubernatorial vetoes, legislative stonewalling, and relentless political games. When Gov. Janet Mills finally implemented expansion, the results were immediate and lifesaving.
Opponents of expansion often reach for an old argument: fraud. But facts matter. There’s no widespread fraud among Medicaid beneficiaries. Fraud is rare — and when it happens, it’s typically among providers, not patients. Maine has strong systems to safeguard taxpayer dollars. In my view, this fraud narrative is a smokescreen designed to distract from the real agenda: taking healthcare away from people who can’t afford lobbyists to defend them.
Maine’s Democratic leaders are doing everything possible to protect healthcare access. We’ve passed a continuing services budget to maintain stability for now. But make no mistake: if Washington turns their back on us, no amount of creativity at the state level can fully shield us. Healthcare cuts will follow. Schools, infrastructure, public safety — all of it could be squeezed to fill the void. And all of us will be impacted.
This fight is about more than budget lines or federal formulas. It’s about whether we believe that healthcare is a privilege for the rich or a basic right for everyone. It’s about whether we build communities where people can live and age with dignity, or where care is reserved for those with wealth and political power.
So now, we call on Republicans in Maine to follow the same path their counterparts in Congress are starting to take. Acknowledge that Mainers need Medicaid. Acknowledge that the public is watching. And commit to protecting this program that keeps our state running.
Maine has shown time and again that when people band together, we can win. We expanded healthcare despite every attempt to block us. We stood up for our families, our neighbors, and our future. And we’re ready to do it again.
To all Mainers, I say this: The time to stand up for MaineCare is now!