Democratic Leaders Vow to Fight for Quality Healthcare Despite Passage of Trump’s Bill

Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) recently held a press conference with Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) at CrescentCare, a health clinic in New Orleans, to decry the devastating impact of Pres. Donald Trump’s tax bill’s attack on healthcare.

The bill, which passed earlier this month, not only slashes healthcare, but delivers deep cuts to food assistance programs as well as clean energy investments and tax credits.

“The passage of Donald Trump's Big Ugly Bill, H.R. 1, represents the most devastating attack on America's healthcare in our nation's history. It cuts more than $1 trillion from health care, including $500 billion from Medicare, putting millions of Americans, including many here in Louisiana, at risk of losing coverage, facing skyrocketing costs, and seeing essential providers shutter their doors,” Carter said. “What we know this means, what this means to us, is our communities will be irreparably harmed. More hospital closures, longer wait times, worse health outcomes. It means seniors, children, and people living with disabilities will all suffer. It is a ‘reverse Robin Hood,’ taking from the poor to give to the rich. It simply isn't right, but we aren’t backing down.

Critics of the bill have warned about its potential negative impact on poor families. According to some estimates, as many as 10 million people will be left uninsured as a result.

In addition to Reps. Carter and Jeffries, U.S. Reps. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Robin Kelly (D- Ill., and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) also attended the press local press conference. 

“A part of why we're here today and having my illustrious leaders here with us on the ground in Louisiana, is to demonstrate that while the first round may be out, this battle is not over,” Carter said. “This war is far from over. They may have won the battle, but they will not win the war. Health care is right, not a privilege. Here in New Orleans, in places like CrescentCare, we're standing strong, standing with you, standing beside you, standing in front of you, standing with you in every possible way. And we’ll keep fighting until every Louisianian, every American, has access to quality, affordable health care. It is our duty, and we take it quite seriously.”

Democratic leaders appear ready to use the new law and its impact as a central theme in is 2026 mid-term campaign messaging.

With that, Jeffries echoed Carter’s commitment.

“Our commitment is to make sure we fight for every single American across the country to make sure they can get the high- quality healthcare that people in the country — the wealthiest country in the words — deserve. The assault on healthcare is unacceptable, unconscionable and un-American.”