March 11, 2025

Call to Action! Meet with Your Congressperson to Preserve Medicaid

As we shared in our February 5 and March 4 advocacy alerts, Congress is currently discussing how to reduce federal spending by approximately $880B, and most of those savings are expected to come from the Medicaid program. A recent report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the House GOP plan cannot be achieved without cutting Medicaid spending.

On March 6, The Arc New York sent this letter to each of the seven Congressional delegates who voted in favor of the budget resolution to reduce spending asking for their specific commitment to preserving Medicaid funding for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. If we receive a response, we will be sure to share it.

We have asked every person receiving our alerts to reach out to their Congressional delegate — republican or democrat — and encourage others to as well, to request an in-person or virtual meeting. Legislators should be in their local districts next week when Congress is in recess. Find your representative here.

If you are not receiving a response or receive a flat out NO on your request to meet, please contact Philip Aydinian to discuss ways we can elevate your request.

If you have been able to meet with your representative, we would like to hear the feedback you received. Please contact Philip Aydinian to share.

Attend a Town Hall!

In addition to arranging meetings, check if your delegate is holding a local town hall, and make plans to attend and share your position on Medicaid cuts. Current information on Town Halls for Republican delegates is below:

Nick Langworthy

• March 11 @ 7:30 PM
• Call: 833-380-0618

Mike Lawler (dates/times/exact locations TBD)

• April – Rockland
• May – Westchester
• June – Putnam
• June - Dutchess

There are no scheduled town halls for Elise Stefanik, Claudia Tenney, Nicole Malliotakis, Nicholas LaLota, or Andrew Garbarino at this time.

Already sent one? Send one again!

Use The Arc US one-click campaign to send a letter directly to your Congressional representative. If you have not, please do so immediately. If you've already sent a letter, take a moment to send another. Send one every day!

Your engagement is critical to advocacy success on this most important issue.

CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT: Monroe

We are pleased to share a fantastic video and website resources created by our Arc Monroe Chapter designed to encourage their local advocates to get engaged in this federal effort. 

In the News

Below are several news articles or releases related to Medicaid funding and specific New York delegates. These provide valuable background and talking points, particularly if any of these representatives are yours:

Andrew Garbarino

• These 15 Congressional Districts Would See Large Medicaid Funding Losses Under Republican House Budget Resolution - Center for American Progress Action

Nicolas LaLota

• LaLota Vows to Fight for Lower Taxes, Stronger Medicaid, and Protection of Vital Programs | Congressman Nick LaLota

Mike Lawler

• Commitment to Protecting Social Security and Medicare | Congressman Mike Lawler
• Congressman Mike Lawler on X: "Here's the reality - Medicaid wasn't mentioned once in the budget resolution we passed last night."
• Medicaid cuts in Republican budget plan draw protests from NY disabled
• Rally against threats to Medicaid funding at Clover Stadium in Pomona NY

Nicole Malliotokis

• The House GOP's Medicaid holdouts are coming around - Live Updates - POLITICO
• More than 100 people protest potential Medicaid cuts on Staten Island - silive.com

Claudia Tenney

• Citizens rally at Tenney's office, demand focus on local issues
• Congresswoman Tenney Votes to Unlock Reconciliation Process to Implement President Trump’s America First Agenda | Representative Claudia Tenney

General

• Congressional Budget Office finds House GOP budget goals would require Medicaid cuts - CBS News
• House Republicans could face a major obstacle if they cut Medicaid: Their own districts’ health needs | CNN Politics
• Alexandria Ocasio Cortez on GOP proposal

Disability Policy Seminar

Join us in Washington, DC this April for the Disability Policy Seminar to hear the latest on federal issues, and bring your voice straight to Capitol Hill with a day of meetings with Congressional representatives.

The Arc in the News

On February 27, Arc US CEO Katy Neas was interviewed on CNN about the impacts of the House Budget Resolution on people with disabilities.

The Arc US Storytelling Toolkit 🔗

Use the resources in this toolkit to help you tell your story in a way that effectively encourages elected officials to change laws or policies. Then share your story to support federal advocacy here.

The Arc New York Medicaid Info Sheet 🔗

Use this info sheet to inform yourself and your representative of the dire need to support Medicaid in New York state.

The Arc New York & NYDA's Congressional District Info Sheets 🔗

Use these district-specific info sheets and maps to inform your representative of the local impact in their district.

The Arc US Medicaid Toolkit 🔗

Access this toolkit for an array of resources that will aid your conversations with lawmakers about the importance of Medicaid.